Sport

Dominic Bradley looking forward to Michael Conlan learning curve ahead of Commonwealth Youth Games

Errigal lightweight Dominic Bradley has been in training camp with Ulster High Performance coach John Conlan and the rest of the Commonwealth Youth Games team in Jordanstown during recent weeks. Picture by Hugh Russell
Errigal lightweight Dominic Bradley has been in training camp with Ulster High Performance coach John Conlan and the rest of the Commonwealth Youth Games team in Jordanstown during recent weeks. Picture by Hugh Russell Errigal lightweight Dominic Bradley has been in training camp with Ulster High Performance coach John Conlan and the rest of the Commonwealth Youth Games team in Jordanstown during recent weeks. Picture by Hugh Russell

DOMINIC Bradley listens carefully as John Conlan leans in during a short break in training at the Commonwealth Youth Games team’s Jordanstown base.

“Michael’s coming home, he’s going to come to the camp,” says the Ulster High Performance coach, before adding: “He’s got a good sparring partner…”

A beaming smile takes over Bradley’s face as Conlan walks away. Job done. Message delivered, loud and clear.

Not just anybody would get chucked in against an amateur World champion and one of the up-and-coming stars of the pro game. It may sound like a punishment, but Bradley knows it’s a privilege.

Fresh from his routine three round win over Jarrett Owen in Brisbane on Saturday night, Conlan is flying straight back home to Belfast where he will hook up with his dad and the Bahamas-bound team for their final week in camp before the Games begin on July 18.

And rather than worrying about sharing the ring with a man who spars daily against the likes of unbeaten world champions Oscar Valdez and Jessie Magdaleno at the notoriously tough Rock Gym in Los Angeles, Bradley can’t wait to step between the ropes.

“It’s great - you can only learn from the best,” says the 17-year-old lightweight from Errigal Boxing Club in north Derry.

“That’s what you need and it’s a great opportunity for me. To have sparring partners like that and training facilities like we have here in Jordanstown, it’s top notch.

“I loved watching him [Conlan], still do to this day, and what he’s done for boxing here is amazing. There’s people who have probably started boxing because they’ve seen what he has done.”

Bradley can only dream of emulating what Conlan achieved as amateur, with the Top Rank golden boy following up an Olympic bronze in 2012 with top honours at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2015 European and World Championships before switching to the paid ranks last year.

Yet the Belfast switch-hitter also made his international bow at the Commonwealth Youths back in 2008, going out just before the medal stages.

Travelling to the Bahamas may be the trip of a lifetime, but only if Bradley returns with gold around his neck.

He said: “I’ve seen pictures and stuff but at the end of the day you’re going out there to work, it doesn’t matter if it’s the Bahamas or up to Belfast, you’re going to do the same job. It doesn’t matter where you’re at, you just want to get the job done.

“When you have the drive to go out and win a gold medal, this is what you want. It’s perfect preparation. It’s the only thing in my head now from the camp started.

“You’re sitting in schools trying to focus on exams but you can’t think of anything else.”

Under the tutelage of coach Danny Deighan at Errigal, Bradley’s star has been on the ascent for some time.

Coming through a box-off against rival Callum Bradley at the National Stadium back in April was one of the high-points of his career to date, the familiar foes stealing the show on the same weekend as elite stars from Ireland, Russia, Germany, France and Italy went toe-to-toe.

And he hopes the Commonwealth Youths can help provide a springboard as he prepares to make the jump up to senior status next year.

“It was a pressure fight because you knew what was at stake,” he says of the ‘Battle of the Bradleys’.

“Qualifying for these is massive, not only now but this is my last year in youths, and this will help me so much in the transition to senior boxing.

“Look at the likes of Stephen McKenna – the year after he won gold at the Commonwealth Youths he won an Irish senior title. It’s massive, and that’s why you go out there with nothing else in your mind.”

After returning with three golds and two silvers, the class of 2015 – which included McKenna, James McGivern, Tiernan Bradley, Aidan Walsh and Brett McGinty – has set the bar high.

But Bradley is confident this team is capable of living up to those expectations.

He added: “There’s loads of talent in this team and we feel we can match it. The record that Northern Ireland has in the Commonwealth Games is impeccable so we’re expected to keep it going.

“It’s not pressure, we know the calibre of boxers who have been there before and we just have to follow on through from what they did. It gives you confidence, it’s great to have.

“There’s other countries going in who’ve maybe never medalled, but when you have that pedigree you have that motivation because you don’t want to let the side down.”

Eddie Bolger left the IABA after nine years to become head coach with Germany. Picture by Hugh Russell
Eddie Bolger left the IABA after nine years to become head coach with Germany. Picture by Hugh Russell Eddie Bolger left the IABA after nine years to become head coach with Germany. Picture by Hugh Russell

BOLGER HOPING FOR 2018 IMPROVEMENTS IN GERMANY

A GOLD medal was enough to see Germany finish joint fifth in the table at last month’s European Championships – one place behind Ireland – but Eddie Bolger is hoping to oversee huge improvements in 2018.

The Wexford man left his coaching role with the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) back in February after being head-hunted by the Germans.

Having set up home in Heidelberg, and with plans afoot for a new £4.5million centre of excellence, head coach Bolger is aiming to make Germany a major force in time for the 2020 Olympics.

Welterweight Abass Baraou brought home their only medal, albeit the top one, from Kharkiv last week but Bolger expects further progress to be made next year.

He said: “I started in early March and for the first month I went over in an observatory capacity to see how things are working, get to know the boxers and the other coaches, see the lay of the land.

“I interviewed 16 boxers at the end of March and asked them what were their sporting ambitions; I got the same answer from all 16 of them – I want to go to Tokyo.

“Some could commit to the training programme, others couldn’t but really 2017 will probably be passing me by a little. It’s 2018 before I’ll have collective team training, and there’s also a new being built.

“We might also discuss the possibility of a centralised system because there’s still four centres of excellence and each of them has a head coach.”

Billy Walsh faced huge teething problems when he swapped Ireland for the USA in 2015, but Bolger says he has been well received by boxers and coaches alike.

He added: “The athletes are very well disciplined, very respectful, eager to box. It’s still a minority sport because most Germans are playing football.

“The coaches have been very good. They want to be successful, the association identified Ireland as a system they wanted to explore, and that’s why I was brought over.

“I’ve no regrets - the only sadness is to see the position the IABA is in. But this was just too good of an offer to turn down.”