London calling for Gallagher after top refereeing award

IRISH boxing is looking likely to have at least one other man between the ropes at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

But he won’t have to throw punches or knock anyone out to qualify in any of the weight categories for the 30th Olympiad.

Michael Gallagher was presented with the 2011 Best World Referee and Judge (R&J) Award at the annual AIBA Awards at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in London on Saturday night. This is the first time an Irish referee has received this award, and Gallagher, from Omagh in Tyrone, thanked world amateur boxing chiefs AIBA for their belief.

“Receiving this award is fantastic. I have to thank a lot of people at AIBA for giving me the opportunity to referee and showing this level of confidence in me, he said.

“When I heard I would get this award, I thought ‘maybe I am doing something right’. For all the years I have been officiating, it makes it all worthwhile.

“I am just trying to do my job the best I can. It is never easy when you have a disappointing bout. When boxers just hold each other, when they don’t want to fight. You just want the minutes to go a lot quicker. You hope to get a clean contest every time, but it doesn’t always work that way.”

The Ulsterman is now keeping his fingers crossed he will be on the R&J panel for the London Olympics.

“I think that I have officiated in every boxing event so far, but never at the Olympic Games. So, I really hope I will be selected. That would be the icing on the cake, but really, being in London next summer would make me happy enough.”