Sport

New High Performance director Bernard Dunne: 'I’m giving up an awful lot to take on this role - this is the dream job'

It was the worst kept secret in boxing, but yesterday Bernard Dunne was finally unveiled as the Irish Athletic Boxing Association’s new High Performance director. Neil Loughran was at the National Sports Campus to talk to the former world champion about his new role and his own expectations for one of the biggest challenges he has ever faced…

New IABA High Performance director Bernard Dunne with, from left, Darren O'Neill, Christina Desmond, Brendan Irvine and Joe Ward. Picture by INPHO
New IABA High Performance director Bernard Dunne with, from left, Darren O'Neill, Christina Desmond, Brendan Irvine and Joe Ward. Picture by INPHO New IABA High Performance director Bernard Dunne with, from left, Darren O'Neill, Christina Desmond, Brendan Irvine and Joe Ward. Picture by INPHO

FERRIED into a side room at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Bernard Dunne breezes through the door wearing a coathanger smile.

The new director of the High Performance unit, the unanimous choice after beating off challengers from America and a little closer to home – former Ireland rugby coach Eddie O’Sullivan was also interviewed for the post – he had every right to beam ear to ear.

This was his day, after all.

Yet Dunne’s arrival to face the assembled press came just minutes after Fergal Carruth, the chief executive of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) and the man to whom Dunne is answerable, had faced an inquisition inside the same four walls.

There were claims of a split among the association’s board of directors – the ultimate decision-making body in the organisation - of behind the scenes meetings and two men both claiming to hold the chairman’s post.

“I’m telling you there is one chairman of the organisation, he’s here today - Joe Crystle,” rapped Carruth, attempting to pour cold water on a potentially divisive situation that promises to rumble on, before Crystle himself was later interrogated, insisting he remained the incumbent.

Welcome to the IABA, Bernard.

If this was a window into some of the internal politics that may arise during his tenure, Dunne wasn’t about to be dragged into the firing line.

“It’s the first I’ve heard,” he said. “Until I actually know what’s going on it’s going to be hard for me to really comment on that.”

He was there to talk about boxing after all and, following the disappointment of the Rio Olympics and last month’s 200,000 euro funding cut, the former world super-bantamweight champion has plenty to occupy his thoughts beyond petty infighting.

And yesterday Dunne – who confirmed he has given up his role with Jim Gavin’s Dublin footballers - answered some of the questions surrounding his appointment, the challenges that lie ahead and his burning desire to bring Ireland back to boxing’s top table.

Q: Given the extensive job description made public for the High Performance director’s post, there have been some questions marks about whether you fulfil all the criteria put forward by the IABA...

A: I’ve been part of a high performance environment for the best part of my life. To say that I wouldn’t understand is a bit of a miscarriage of justice in a sense.

In the last five years I’ve worked with the Dublin football team which is arguably the best high performance unit in the country. My entire pro career was all about high performance and the last three years of my amateur career.

Take all that together you’re looking at 20 years in a high performance environment and I think my in-depth knowledge of boxing will also help, understanding what the athletes are going through.

Q. What did you learn from your time working with a hugely-successful Dublin football team?

A: A big thing for me was being involved in a high performance environment and being exposed to that and being a part of Jim’s team for the last four-and-a-half years, it’s been a learning experience for me.

And I’m continuously learning. I’ll learn throughout this job. That was really the main thing, to learn and grow myself.

I loved what I was doing. I loved being involved with the players. I will deeply miss being involved. It’s been a huge part of my life for four and a half years. It’s been a huge part of success in my life for the past four-and-a-half years.

For a person to transition from boxing to GAA and be welcomed in and become an integral part of the team, it’s testament to the guys for allowing that to happen and being open-minded that somebody from a different sport could be impactful on them.

I suppose it’s testament to me to be able to have achieved that.

Q: Given the acrimonious nature of Billy Walsh’s exit in 2015, and the issues he had with the IABA, do you trust your new employers?

A: I’ve only been employed for the day so it’s a bit quick to cast judgement on them… I’m very happy to come into this environment. I wouldn’t have taken the role if I wasn’t. I look forward to working with the IABA, Fergal, the president, the officers board and Sport Ireland.

Q: Having seen what has gone on in the past, did you think twice at any stage about putting yourself forward for the job?

A: No, I’m giving up an awful lot to take on this role. This is the dream job.

From a five-year-old who walked into CIE boxing club to be trained by Peter Perry and my dad to go on to winning my first All-Ireland title at 11 years of age, winning my first senior title just turning 18, to just missing out on the Olympic Games and that whole experience, and then turning professional and becoming champion of Europe and champion of the world, boxing’s been my life.

I understand what it takes to get to the top. That doesn’t take one person; that takes a team. It was never about me, and this isn’t about me; this is about we.

Together, we will drive towards the top. That is the plan.

Q: After the disappointment of Rio, what changes do you feel need to be made to the High Performance unit?

A: There’s most certainly potential for change but until I am fully immersed in the HPU it’s hard for me to quantify that change that is needed. I know you want to know exactly what I am going to do but it’s about coming in and observing and fully immersing myself in it before seeing what needs to be done.

But it’s about getting the processes right, agreeing on values, a way forward so the athletes know what we expect from them and they know what they can expect from us - creating an environment they can thrive in. We need to expose them to the best of coaches, facilities and support staff. We’re looking for world class in everything we do.

Q. What are your own thoughts on what happened in Rio, eight months on, and how Irish boxing recovers from that?

A: Rio, no doubts we didn’t get the results that we expected, nor the performances. But you’ve also got to look at the positives: we had eight boxers who qualified for those Games.

Eight - the most we’ve ever qualified in the current system. That’s a fantastic achievement and testament to Zaur and the team, and the athletes.

The international level of competition in boxing, it’s up there. It’s not a fact that three, four teams can win certain medals. Everybody is competing at that level.

It’s a high performance sport at the very top level, where every team is performing at the level. Okay, we didn’t have a great Games but we have to look at that now as an opportunity to build again, build the brand of Irish boxing.

It’s still our most successful sport and it’s still the sport in four years’ time that yourselves will all look towards as our medal hopes.

Q: One of the main issues Billy Walsh had was with autonomy – being allowed to do his job as he saw fit, and pick the teams he wanted. Is that something you have discussed? Will you have the final say on team selection going forward?

A: It will be a collaborative effort within the HPU. I’d quite like a selection process within the HPU where people are working with the athletes day-in, day-out and know which guys are promising, which guys are working hard and which guys are cutting corners, if they are.

Q: Did you speak to Billy Walsh or your predecessor, Gary Keegan, before going for the job?

A: Billy spoke with me to congratulate me on the job. We spoke and he actually sent me a message when he heard I went for the job and he said ‘best man for it, I hope you get it’.

I know Gary since I was a nipper, since Gary was a coach himself. This is Gary’s brainchild, to carry that mantle, f I can do half the things Gary and Billy have done I’ll be successful in this role.

Q: Much of the success of the High Performance unit in the past was based on the close working relationship between Billy Walsh and Zaur Antia, as well as their support staff. It’s early days, but what is your relationship like with Zaur and how do you see yourselves working together?

A: I’d have known him on and off. Since I’ve applied for this role we’ve got to know each other, understand each other and we’ve a shared vision to become the best. That’s ultimately the goal.

We’ve got to be ambitious and aim to be the top dog. Having sat with Zaur and chatted with him in the meetings we’ve had it’s making sure we get the best out of our athletes and focus on performance and if we get performance we’ll get the results we deserve.

Q: This is a management role rather than have a coaching role you have been appointed to – with your background in the sport, will it be hard to step back from the hands-on side of it?

A: Zaur most certainly doesn’t need my input in coaching. His awareness technically and tactically in terms of what an athlete needs to perform inside that boxing ring is second to none.

But if he came to me and wanted to chat, I’m sure we could have a good, intelligent conversation about boxing. That’s probably one of the benefits I bring to this role as well.

Q: Your own success in the role could depend as much upon those you have around you – have you given any consideration to people you would like to get involved in terms of support staff?

A: This is a complete reset, we’re starting afresh, we’re looking to the future. Our goal is to continue to move forward and allow our athletes to grow both as athletes and people.

Q: But are there moves afoot to bring anyone in?

A: I need to be inside, fully immerse myself. When I speak to Zaur he can feed in exactly what the team needs and I’ll chat with the athletes as well. It’s going to be a collaborative effort.

Q: In the Rio Review document released earlier this month, one of the issues highlighted was a ‘slippage’ in boxer discipline, with incidents of boxers being restored to the programme by people within the IABA. Would you tolerate that situation if it arose?

A: I think accountability is highly important in any environment, you’ve got to be accountable for your actions. That’s just about creating an environment where our athletes know what we expect of them and they know what to expect of us.

Three-time national elite champion Sean McComb is one of those who have been left without funding following the recent cut
Three-time national elite champion Sean McComb is one of those who have been left without funding following the recent cut Three-time national elite champion Sean McComb is one of those who have been left without funding following the recent cut

Q: The recent funding cut is obviously a huge blow and has a serious knock-on effect for athletes who are not on funding looking down the line. As a result, experienced members of the team like Sean McComb have a decision to make about their futures. How can you address that?

A: Sean is still a young man, he’s one of our guys who I think can achieve great things. We’ve got strength in depth, I think we won 55 medals internationally through all levels. That shows you the talent pool. We just need to make sure we create the right environment to thrive.

Q: But there is a practical element too. We’ve already seen some top guys with lots of potential leave the programme because they simply can’t afford to commit the time to it without funding. What can you do to bring those guys back onboard so they’re not lost to boxing forever?

A: No doubts funding is an issue when you’ve got athletes coming in here on a full-time basis, but we have to deal with that issue.

There is no point sitting here complaining. We will try our best to accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish with the funding we’re given.

It’s something I’ll have to look at and it is an issue I’ll have to address in some way, shape or form. Can I give you a practical solution to it right now? I can’t. But once I’m inside and I’m seeing exactly what these athletes are going through, I’ll come back with a practical solution.

But I do understand the whole funding issue – I’ve been that boxer. I understand what they’re going through.