LEAD
IRISH boxing will not be “railroaded” into making a decision on its international future by any “external organisation”, insists the chairperson of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association’s (IABA) board of directors.
Niall O’Carroll was speaking after the country’s hopes of competing at future Olympic Games received a major boost when a resolution was passed to remove all references to the controversial International Boxing Association (IBA) from the IABA constitution.
However, Saturday’s EGM at the National Stadium took place just a day after clubs received a letter from the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) – following communication from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - stressing the need for the IABA to “remove itself completely from the IBA”.
However, it was made clear that Saturday’s vote would not equate to a complete departure at this stage, with the OFI letter – signed by president Sarah Keane and CEO Peter Sherrard – stating that it “will need this further action to be taken by November” if the IABA is to remain a member.
In order for the changes requested by clubs on Saturday to take effect, delegates will be asked to vote on a special resolution – according to the IABA, that vote is likely to take place at its AGM on November 24.
As for future decisions on a possible move to World Boxing, the organisation set up last year in a bid to secure the sport’s Olympic future after it was left off the programme for LA2028, O’Carroll insists such big calls will not be rushed into.
“The next vote we have will be much clearer; it will be about what federation, or how many federations, we want to be members of in the future,” he said.
“The new federation are very much, at the moment, focused on elite level boxing but 90 per cent of our members are more interested in our underage boxers – do they get European championships and World championships? Do they get competition on a regular basis?
“And the feeling among the membership is that World Boxing haven’t addressed that yet, so there’s a body of work to be done to figure out where we are going to get that competition.
“Obviously, I would think the OFI would like clarity from us sooner rather than later, but there has been no deadline date given to me, and I wouldn’t be comfortable with a deadline date.
“I understand the OFI’s position, the IOC’s position, I’ve had conversations with Sport Ireland but, at the end of the day, our decision will be made by us and our members - it’s not going to be made by the OFI or any other organisation.
“I appreciate the situation the IOC are in, in terms of making a decision about boxing in LA, and that has to be made sooner rather than later. I’m hoping that our decision today is a signal to the IOC that Ireland are taking steps to protect our Olympic future, but I certainly don’t feel that our members should be railroaded by any external organisation.
“So we will continue with dialogue and we will have that vote - on World Boxing, remaining in IBA or whatever the case may be - when we feel it is the right time to have it, and not because we’re being told to have it by an external organisation.”
Requiring a 51 per cent majority, 73 of the 140 clubs who registered for the EGM voted in favour, with 40 against and a further 27 votes spoilt, meaning the resolution was comfortably passed.
Had it been defeated, and the IABA remained solely aligned with the IBA, Irish boxing’s Olympic future faced an uncertain future – with OFI president Keane previously mooting prospect of a new national body being set up to run boxing in Ireland if the IABA did not sever its links with the IBA.
But O’Carroll believes a considerable step forward has already been taken.
“We have to be happy.
“I think the thing I’m most happy about is the fact that I feel, as a sporting organisation, we’ve grown up a little bit today. The last few AGMs and EGMs we’ve been gradually moving towards a more co-operative approach.
“When I came into this role 16 months ago, I did a tour of the country to talk about this topic and, at certain meetings, I was met with an awful lot of anger – and, I think to be fair to our members, they had a right to be angry, because historically our governance probably wasn’t where it should’ve been.
“Today we’ve seen that we’re moving in the right direction. I honestly believe it would be catastrophic for us to lose Olympic status, and we’ve taken a step to protect that today.”
OFF LEAD WITH MAIN PIC
THE Ulster contingent will hope to carry on Ireland’s impressive start at the European U22 Championships during the coming days.
Oakleaf light-fly Carleigh Irving enters the fray on Tuesday, when she takes on Azerbaijan’s Mehpara Mammadova for a medal place, while 2022 world champion Lisa O’Rourke begins her bid to defend her European U22 crown.
The Roscommon light-middleweight is up against Serbia’s Anastasija Lukajic, having received a bye into the last 16.
Also in action on Tuesday is Ballyboughal’s Niamh Fay, when she faces France’s Sthelyne Grosy, while Kaci Rock takes on Latvia’s Kitija Zarberga, with a place in the medal positions – and a semi-final showdown against Romania’s Andreea Marin on Thursday - up for grabs.
Rock’s Holy Trinity team-mate Clepson dos Santos makes his bow at this year’s European U22s when he faces Georgian opponent Davit Japaridze on Wednesday, with Star talent Louis Rooney stepping between the ropes to face Armenia’s Hovhannes Harutyunyan in Wednesday’s afternoon session.
Galway super-heavy Martin McDonagh will fancy his chances of going all the way in Sofia, after coming so close to reaching Paris 2024 with a stellar showing at both the European and World Olympic qualifiers earlier in the year.
He opens his account against Makita Nahorny, a Belarussian boxing under the IBA banner.
On Monday, meanwhile, highly-rated light-middle Bobbi Flood took a 4-1 split decision win over Mohammad Issa of Israel, his second victory in Sofia, to move into Wednesday’s quarter-final.
He is joined in last eight action by light-welter Roy Colgan, who claimed a 4-1 win over Slovakia’s Juraj Bona, but it wasn’t to be for light-heavy James Whelan as he came up short against Croatia’s Antonio Grabic.
