Walsh reveals support plans for fighting Irish

IRISH Olympic boxing coach Billy Walsh last night revealed his sport has plans to help fighters deal with the hype that surrounds the Olympic Games.

Walsh admitted the suicide of 2008 bronze medallist Darren Sutherland and the alcohol problems of silver medallist Kenny Egan forced boxing chiefs to develop assistance programmes for their competitors outside the ring.

“We thought of having the success but who thought of what you had to deal with in the aftermath?” he said.

“We just thought it was a case of ‘well done lads, good luck and enjoy it’. We didn’t think that anything would happen but people’s lives completely changed.

“We have the wheels in process to look after that. When we have the final group qualified we have plans for then. We will go away and have a weekend on our own and get it all sorted and have support around them.”

He said of Egan’s issues with alcohol: “He became a celebrity overnight and he loved it, he enjoyed it like a normal red-blooded man and got caught up in it. Thankfully he’s well out of it now and it’s 14 or 15 months since he touched a drink.”

Meanwhile Walsh described Katie Taylor as the best athlete Ireland has ever produced. However he conceded his concerns about the level of expectation surrounding her for next year’s games.

“She hasn’t qualified. Anything is possible in sport, particularly boxing, she’s only one punch away from defeat.

“Yes there is that expectation on her but we’re well aware of that, she’s well aware of that, we’re just keeping focused on what we can control.To my mind, she’s the best athlete Ireland has ever produced. She may not be recognised until after she is gone, but she’s five-time European champion in a 10-year reign, three times a world champion. I don’t think anyone will ever achieve that. Not one of our male boxers lives the high performance life that Katie lives.”