Fighting Irish boxers aiming towards fabulous 40
The ‘medal magnets’ have well departed to pursue fame and treasure in the paid ranks — but new stars are emerging as Irish boxing is within striking distance of the 40-medal mark this year, with two tournaments remaining in 2018.
Some of Ireland’s top boxers turned professional after a deeply disappointing Rio 2016 for the sport in Ireland, Katie Taylor, Michael Conlan, and Paddy Barnes claimed an astonishing four Olympic, seven World, and 17 European Elite, European Union, and European Games’ gold, silver, and bronze medals in an 11-year period in the amateur ranks. Twenty one of those medals were gold.
It would be difficult for any National Boxing Federation, least of all the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) which is drawing from such a relatively small population, to absorb the exodus of such talent, particularly Taylor, arguably the greatest pound-for-pound female fighter of all time.
Likewise, head coach Zaur Antia, who has played a crucial role in the success of Irish boxing, and coaching staff are left in an unenviable position.
There’s little they can do if our top athletes believe that the bright lights of Madison Square Garden are more alluring than Tokyo 2020 and switch codes. These boxers cannot represent Ireland anymore, the door is closed.
Few, if any, other sports have such restrictions which have roots in a historic schism after the amateurs — when the concept of amateur boxing evolved in England in the 1860s — separated from prize-fighting (pro boxing) for ethical reasons because of injuries in the ring in the paid ranks.
Either way, that’s the legacy which has left amateur boxing watching its ranks being raided for talent after each World and Olympic cycle by professional promoters. It’s a hard punch to absorb.
But despite the exodus of some of our top athletes and the departure of former head coach Billy Walsh to USA Boxing, the IABA have begun to turn things around on the road to the 32nd Olympiad.
Since April, Ireland has claimed 39 medals in World, European and Olympic (Youth) Elite, Youth, Junior and Schoolboy/girl competition.
Irish female boxing, which, courtesy of Taylor, has won Ireland’s only Olympic gold in all sports this century, is leading the way this year with 26 medals, seven of those gold.
Dom O’Rourke, President of the IABA, hailed the contribution of Ireland’s clubs and coaches and IABA coaches and staff: “Their input has been phenomenal and I cannot praise them highly enough. Not only in international competition but at all levels in Ireland. Our boxers have represented their country with tremendous pride and a lot of success,” he said.
Another standout statistic from the seven competitions Ireland commanded podium positions at over the last seven months, is that we’ve finished in top 10 positions in the medals table on five occasions — and in the top three twice — at tournaments which featured between 30 to 50 nations
The focus will now switch to male and female Elite Elite competition at the AIBA World Women’s Championships in New Delhi, India (November 15-24) and the Men’s EU Elite Championships in Valladolid, Spain (November 8-19).
Joe Ward, who would have been a hot favourite for light-heavy gold in Valladolid, is out with a hand injury, while the team for India has yet to be confirmed.
On the last occasion the World Women’s Elites were held in New Delhi, Katie Taylor claimed Ireland’s first gold at this level in 2006.
As Irish coach Dmitry Dimitruk remarked after Leitrim feather Dearbhla Rooney won bronze at the Youths Olympics in Buenos Aires this month: “Irish boxing never comes home without a medal.”
