Walsh: Irish boxers can win Olympic medals

THE Irish Amateur Boxing Association’s head coach Billy Walsh has predicted three of his charges can win medals at next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

The former Olympian, made his comments yesterday at the presentation of the 11-strong Irish team for the World Championship in Chicago next week. The top eight in all the divisions up to and including light heavyweight qualify automatically for China while the top four at heavyweight and super heavyweight will qualify.

Walsh said: “We have some very experienced boxers and we have some inexperienced young boxers potentially aimed at 2012.

“Over this qualification process we have targeted three boxers we feel can qualify for the Olympics and that’s over the process. If it happens in Chicago we will be very happy and it will be earlier than expected. The average age of medallists at the Olympic Games is 25 to 26 years of age and our most experienced guys are of that age.”

He was speaking of light heavyweight Kenneth Egan, middleweight Darren Sutherland and welterweight Roy Sheahan who won gold medals at the Euro Championships in Dublin last summer.

“I am convinced they have the potential to win medals at next year’s Olympic Games. This is the first opportunity to qualify and if they qualify they will win medals.”

Gary Keegan, director of high performance, agreed.

“Our expectation is three qualifiers, which will be a 200% increase on what we’ve had at the last two Olympics.

“We’re going into these world championships with what we see as a really good chance. Our three top boxers are all world ranked and highly experienced, and all have an excellent chance of making the quarter-finals and thereby qualifying for Beijing.

“Kenny will be boxing in his fourth world championships and was a quarter-finalist in two, Darren made the last eight in China two years ago, and Roy was very unlucky not to make the quarter-finals at those championships.

“A lot depends on the draw... These are wide open championships with, I think, a total of 115 countries and an open draw, so just about anything can happen.

“All of our lads are very focused about getting over the line. They have all had it impressed on them to rely on the experience they’ve gained and the work they put in at the training camps in France and Germany, and not to think too much about all the other guys in their own particular division.

“One bit of a problem for us is that the three weights that we are strongest at — welter for Roy, middle for Darren and light-heavy for Kenny — are probably the three strongest in the world. So, again, an awful lot will depend on the draw.”

Sean Kelly, executive director of the Institute of Sport, praised the boxers for their commitment and dedication over the past year: “They do what is required and they appreciate anything that is done for them.”