Olympics heartbreak for Ward as appeal rejected
Joe Ward will not be competing at the London Olympics after the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) lost its appeal against his controversial defeat at this week's Olympic qualifying tournament in Trabzon, Turkey.
The Westmeath teenager suffered a shock 18 points to 15 defeat yesterday to Turkish fighter Bahran Muzzafer.
IABA officials decided to lodge an appeal against the scoring of the fight, but the officials declared that no rule was shown to be broken during the fight, so the decision could not be overturned.
IABA President Tommy Murphy described it as a ‘dreadful’ call.
Murphy said: "As far as I’ve seen over the years — and I’ve attended many of those championships, Olympics, qualifiers and all sorts of tournaments — it was a very bad decision. If it had to be anybody else I’d say the same. It was a terrible decision.
"We felt obliged to lodge an objection and see what happens," Murphy said.
"It’s €500 but, from our point of view, it’s money well spent. We are making the point that Ireland is not going to accept this any more. This is ridiculous. We have always accepted decisions and said ‘OK that’s the way it goes, you win one, lose one, but there was so much at stake here.
"Joe silenced all the Turks in the stadium in the last round and we find he lost the round 6-4. Where the six points came from is a total mystery.
"I always thought I was ahead right from the first round," said Ward as he was embraced by boxers from other nations on his way out of the stadium.
"I knew then as the fight went on that I was not getting the scores I deserved. That’s very disappointing. It’s a disgrace to amateur boxing but what can you do."
Today Paddy Barnes and David Oliver Joyce are in action at the evening session.
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