Georgian genius Zaur Antia retires - what a legacy he has left in Irish boxing

There have been ten Olympic medals, 154 podium places across the major championships, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Wed, 19 Nov, 2025 - 18:00

Brendan O'Brien

Zaur Antia, the Georgian mastermind, has left the building. Retirement beckons almost 23 years after he first walked into Irish boxing’s basic but brilliant high-performance unit on Dublin’s South Circular Road with zero English and a limitless store of boxing knowledge.

He has lived and breathed his work, thrown and absorbed every punch with the countless boxers who came under his wing. There have been ten Olympic medals, 154 podium places across the major championships, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.