Sport

Michael Conlan boxes clever to land RTE Sports Awards gong

Michael Conlan smiles for the camera after winning the RTE Sportsperson of the Year award on Saturday night
Michael Conlan smiles for the camera after winning the RTE Sportsperson of the Year award on Saturday night Michael Conlan smiles for the camera after winning the RTE Sportsperson of the Year award on Saturday night

CURRENT World Elite gold medallist Michael Conlan was thrilled to get the decision over Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kingpin Conor McGregor and Irish rugby legend Paul O’Connell at the RTE Sports Awards on Saturday night.

The Belfast bantamweight scooped the RTE Sportsperson of the Year award to become the fourth Irish boxer after Olympic champions Katie Taylor and Michael Carruth and WBA champion Barry McGuigan to receive the accolade.

UFC kingpin McGregor and O’Connell and a host of leading Irish sports stars were in the running for the RTE top prize.

But the judges opted for Conlan, who won World and European gold this year to go to number one in the AIBA World Elite 56kg rankings.

He also qualified for the Rio Olympics twice in 2015, once through the World Series of Boxing (WSB) and again through AIBA Open Boxing.

Conlan said: “I was in against some top quality operators and athletes and I got the win and got the trophy. It just shows how much recognition boxing is getting now, it’s fantastic.

“It’s the highest award in Irish sport you can receive, so I’m delighted and really honoured to receive it. It caps the year for me.”

Conlan will now put a hugely successful 2015 behind him to focus on the Rio Olympics where he has vowed to win gold.

“The target in Rio is gold, nothing else. The year is coming to an end and I’ve got to start putting it behind me. This is the icing on the cake, picking up this award, but I will focus on the year ahead now.”

The RTE Team of the Year Award went to Airtricity League double winners Dundalk after a public vote.