Ward hopes for wildcard reprieve

Heartbroken Joe Ward was thrown an Olympic lifeline last night after his controversial elimination from the qualifying tournament in Trabzon, Turkey.

A chink of light appeared as the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) launched an investigation into the so called ‘wildcard’ place — a loose term for the rule by which the Tripartite Commission can offer a small number of places to countries who have averaged six or less athletes at the previous two Games.

The president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), Pat Hickey, who is also president of the European group of National Olympic Committees (NOC), the most powerful unit within the Olympic movement, was on his way back from Moscow and will be asked by the IABA for his opinion.