Treacy hoping Lee opts for ISC Olympic package

THERE is an air of anticipation in Irish amateur boxing circles as Andy Lee ponders his future.

The 20-year-old Olympian has been hot property since winning a silver medal at the world junior championships in Cuba a couple of years ago.

And he had hardly unpacked his bags after returning from the Athens Olympics when he was submerged in a sea of speculation.

There were no eyebrows raised when Manny Steward arrived in Belfast to discuss a future in the paid ranks.

He was accompanied by another legend, Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns, and while it was understood no money was mentioned, the world’s most successful boxing trainer/manager had little difficulty promising a bright future as a professional.

Apart from his ring qualities he could be a fight promoter’s dream - tall, dark, handsome and articulate.

The Irish Sports Council and the IABA stepped in quickly with a package which they felt could keep the face of Irish boxing at home. He ended up at the wrong end of the dreaded countback after tying his second Olympic contest. Before that he added European bronze and EU championship silver to his trophy collection.

Now John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, is determined to hang on to Lee for the Beijing Olympics in four years’ time.

Along with representatives of the IABA, they met Andy Lee some weeks ago and handed him a package to mull over.

It was described by the IABA’s High Performance Director, Gary Keegan, as very good.

“I will stand by him no matter what the decision is,” said Keegan, the brains behind the high performance programme that will bear fruit in four years’ time.

Lee is on holidays in France but said: “It is a very good package and it has given me plenty to think about. I will be making a definite decision over the next couple of weeks.

Treacy said: “He is a very good prospect for the next Olympic cycle. As such we are doing everything in our powers to keep him within the programme. This is a major issue for Irish sport. In the past we have been losing our boxers at a time when they are still immature in terms of Olympic experience. I don’t have to name them - Kelly, Magee, Dunne - and we would like to stop that.

“He is very important and in terms of the IABA he is very important. They have a very good programme in place and I think everybody feels it is going yield success. There is plenty of time for Andy and those were the kinds of things I was trying to impress upon him.”

On the competitive front, a team drawn from the police clubs of Great Britain will be in action at a Dinner Show/Dance in the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown on Saturday night when they will box a Munster selection.

The show has been organised by Jim Walsh in aid of the Milford and Marymount Hospices. A number of national and provincial champions will be in action and the MC for the evening will be the voice of Irish boxing, Harry McGavock from Belfast, who always adds his special flavour to boxing shows.