Boxing chiefs bid to rescue Ireland’s participation at worlds

Irish boxing chiefs are scrambling to save the country’s participation at the 2021 Men’s World Boxing Championships.

Boxers at the IABA’s High Performance Unit (HPU) were informed on Wednesday that an Irish team would not be sent to the Championships in Belgrade.

Instead, an Irish squad is traveling to Sheffield this weekend for a week-long training camp with the GB team.

Last month, the IABA was granted a dispensation by AIBA to wait until after the Irish Elite Championships before submitting their team.

The Elite finals took place last weekend, but there was shock this week when boxers were told of the decision. It is believed that figures in the HPU were concerned that some within the team would not be ‘ready’ in time for the Worlds.

Senior IABA chiefs are understood to have been alarmed at the communication given to boxers this week. A team manager was selected to lead the Irish team to Belgrade, but this person was also contacted and informed of the decision to withdraw from the Championships earlier this week.

“At the minute, a team list has been sent to the world body,” IABA Secretary Paddy Gallagher said. “This list can include definite and potential candidates.” With less than three weeks to the start of the Championships on October 26, the IABA now appears to be clambering to rescue the matter.

Ireland has been represented at all bar one of the previous 20 editions of the World Championships, the sole exception being the 1978 version, which also took place in Belgrade.

In that time, Irish boxers have won 13 medals.

One leading IABA figure has said that officials ‘looked a little deeper’ at the issue during ‘behind the scenes talks’ in the wake of the announcement to boxers in the HPU, adding: “More thought was put into it since.” It is believed emergency talks took place between some of the IABA’s senior chiefs.

It is understood that the IABA’s High Performance Director Bernard Dunne has not returned to his role at the HPU since the Olympic Games in Tokyo and is on a period of leave from the position.

Deepening rifts have developed between the IABA and the HPU of late and this is the latest saga threatening Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport.

The IABA board has been split over a number of matters since early 2020. In recent weeks, the Central Council passed a no confidence motion in the officer board of the Dublin Co Board as well as the Leinster and Connacht councils. All three groupings previously withdrew their support for the Central Council over the failure of the Board to elect two new directors; something that was passed at the annual general meeting in 2019.

Last weekend, six males won their first Irish elite titles.

Among those, though, was Jack Marley, the Dublin heavyweight, who was a bronze medalist at the European Under-22 Championships this summer. Adam Hession, a European U22 silver medalist, won the bantamweight final against Sean Purcell for his second Irish title on Saturday.

Paddy McShane, Eugene McKeever, John Paul Hale, Kelyn Cassidy, and Ricky Nesbitt also collected their first titles at elite level.

Were no Irish boxers to compete in Belgrade they would not only be denied the chance to medal, but to win a share of the prize money.

This year, a prize fund of $2.6m is up for grabs with old medalists to receive $100,000, silver medalists $50,000, and bronze medalists $25,000.