Battle to keep Lee in amateur ranks

THE Irish Sports Council and the Irish Amateur Boxing Association are battling to keep Andy Lee from turning professional until after the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The Limerick southpaw so impressive at the Athens Games, last month met with the legendary Emmanuel Steward and Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns, and discussed a possible move into the pro ranks.

Lee is considering his options and has yet to make his intentions known.

But attempts are being made to ensure that he remains amateur in the hopes that he will be a serious medal contender in China in four years time.

“It is all still up in the air,” Gary Keegan, the IABA’s High Performance Director, said yesterday. “We sat down with the Sports Council and Andy last week and we are certainly putting in the work on our side.”

He predicted that they would have a package to put to Andy before the end of the month that would secure his future.

“And the end of the day it is going to be Andy’s decision and his decision alone and I would like to state here and now that whatever that decision is I will back it,” Gary Keegan said.

“We have always had a very good relationship with him. He has been a role model for Irish boxing and, indeed, for Irish sport and they don’t come along very often,”

Lee was back training with the Irish squad last week. His troublesome hand has healed but he has no date set for a competitive comeback.

“We are very happy with the Irish Sports Council. They have been very proactive here,” Keegan said. “Like us all they are interested in Andy’s future.”

Meanwhile Bernard Dunne is unlikely to box again until early next year according to manager Brian Peters. The Dubliner has not fought since his bruising victory over Mexican southpaw, Adrian Valdez at the Aldrich Arena in Minnesota last August.

Dunne, who won on a unanimous points decision after 10 gruelling rounds damaged his right hand which lead to the cancellation of this month’s return bout on cable station Showtime.

“Contrary to reports, the damage did not require surgery - only rest and he has had plenty of that,” Peters said. “He has been back training in the gym for some time. He has not used the right hand but it is recovered. However, I don’t see him boxing until the new year and I am exploring possibilities on both sides of the Atlantic.”