Sport

Post-Olympic funding blow leaves Irish boxing at a crossroads looking to the future

<span style="font-family: &quot;Times Roman&quot;, serif; ">Maydown Olympic club in Derry enjoyed a four-midable weekend after landing four Ulster at the Rochester&rsquo;s club in Derry. Pictured, from left, are &Ograve;ran Carton (Boy 2 43kg), brothers Cahal (Boy 1 29kg) and Ben Cooke (Boy 2 38.5kg) and Cahir Gormley (Boy 3 43kg). Gormley was celebrating his third consecutive </span><st1:country-region w:st="on" style="font-family: &quot;Times Roman&quot;, serif; "><st1:place w:st="on">Ulster</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: &quot;Times Roman&quot;, serif; "> title, and all four will now have their sights set on adding Irish titles next week</span>
Maydown Olympic club in Derry enjoyed a four-midable weekend after landing four Ulster at the Rochester’s club in Derry. Pictured, from left, are Òran Carton (Boy 2 43kg), brothers C Maydown Olympic club in Derry enjoyed a four-midable weekend after landing four Ulster at the Rochester’s club in Derry. Pictured, from left, are Òran Carton (Boy 2 43kg), brothers Cahal (Boy 1 29kg) and Ben Cooke (Boy 2 38.5kg) and Cahir Gormley (Boy 3 43kg). Gormley was celebrating his third consecutive Ulster title, and all four will now have their sights set on adding Irish titles next week

THERE’S no doubt that the appointment of a new Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) High Performance director – expected to be former world champion Bernard Dunne - is to be welcomed.

With head coach Zaur Antia spurning the advances of nations like Azerbaijan and Canada to sign a new five-year deal with IABA last December, all may appear rosy in the garden after a summer of discontent culminating in a disastrous showing at the Rio Olympics.

Yet that couldn’t be further from the truth, as the shock of last week’s Irish Sports Council funding cut continue to reverberate around the boxing scene.

On the day that the Sports Council released its Rio Review, it was confirmed that IABA’s funding would be slashed by 200,000 euros - from 900,000 euros to 700,000 euros.

Despite boxing’s stellar reputation and performance on the international stage in the previous years, including Michael Conlan’s 2015 World – the first ever secured by an Irishman - it was the biggest loser at Wednesday’s funding announcement.

Coming home from Rio empty-handed, it seems, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Some of the reduction in funding is explained by the departure of top-level grant recipients Katie Taylor, Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes to the pro ranks.

However, the number of boxers receiving individual grants has fallen from 14 last year to six in 2017.

What kind of message does that send to those who remain at the High Performance unit, many of whom are not based in Dublin and have to travel up and down several times a week?

World silver medallist Joe Ward is the only boxer to receive the ‘podium’ level grant of 40,000 euros. Others have seen their funding cut in half, while most have been left with none.

One of those previously funded athletes left empty handed is Belfast light-welter Sean McComb.

Two weeks ago, in an interview in these pages, McComb explained that he had turned down approaches to join the paid ranks because he wants to fulfil his ambition of winning a medal at the World Championships.

Although still only 24, he is now one of the most experienced members of the Irish elite squad.

A three-time Irish elite champion who won bronze at the 2015 European Games, McComb would be considered a genuine medal contender should he still be around for the Tokyo Olympics in three years’ time.

He is somebody whom any future success should be built around, yet instead he finds himself with a decision to make.

Because for all the new appointments – securing Antia’s services, a long-awaited High Performance director – not to mention the multi-million pound national sports campus at Abbotstown, Irish boxing stands at a crossroads.

With only a handful on the funding ladder, where does that leave the rest?

There has already been a drop off of top level boxers from youth right through to senior level and, following last week’s bombshell, it is expected that more will follow.

“They have Abbotstown, all the top class facilities, they have all the staff in place for the High Performance unit, and no boxers? There’s something wrong with that,” said veteran Holy Trinity coach Michael Hawkins.

“How do they expect boxing to get back on its feet again? You can’t expect young men, some of whom have mortgages, babies to go to Dublin Tuesday to Friday without paying them.

“How do you expect that to happen? Everybody else is getting paid except the boxer.”

LEFT HOOKS

Russia's Vladimir Nikitin (left) will be part of the Russian team that competes in Dublin at the end of the month
Russia's Vladimir Nikitin (left) will be part of the Russian team that competes in Dublin at the end of the month Russia's Vladimir Nikitin (left) will be part of the Russian team that competes in Dublin at the end of the month

The bête noire of Irish boxing last summer, Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin, has been named on a 10-strong Russian squad that will take part in an Elite international in Dublin later this month.


Nikitin was handed a unanimous victory over gold medal hope Michael Conlan at the Rio Olympics, prompting a furious one-fingered salute from the west Belfast man.

As Conlan ripped into world governing body AIBA after losing a fight he appeared to win comfortably, news of his televised tirade flashed around the world.

Nikitin suffered such serious injuries in that disputed victory over Conlan that he was unable to compete in his scheduled semi-final with America’s Shakur Stevenson two days later.

The Russian, who has since moved up from bantam to lightweight, last fought on St Patrick’s Day - but it was a far cry from the jubilant scenes that greeted Conlan’s pro debut in New York the same day.

Taking on Azerbaijan’s Sarkham Aliyev in the Great Silk Way final in Baku, the ringside doctor pulled Nikitin out after the first round.

Germany, now looked after by former Irish coach Eddie Bolger, will also travel to Dublin for the round-robin tournament, which takes place at the National Stadium from April 28-30.

The Irish squad will be confirmed shortly, but is expected to feature all the reigning elite champions as well as the likes of Rio Olympian Steven Donnelly.

Brother Jake (left) and Kane Tucker with Holy Trinity club-mate Barry McReynolds after Saturday's Irish title successes
Brother Jake (left) and Kane Tucker with Holy Trinity club-mate Barry McReynolds after Saturday's Irish title successes Brother Jake (left) and Kane Tucker with Holy Trinity club-mate Barry McReynolds after Saturday's Irish title successes

THE Tucker brothers from Holy Trinity led the Ulster charge in Dublin at the weekend.

Younger sibling Jake took the Junior 1 66kg national title with a convincing victory over Patrick Carey at the National Stadium on Saturday, with middleweight Kane following suit later in the day.

The 17-year-old produced a masterclass to see off Jack Lawlor in his Junior 2 final, while there was further joy for the Turf Lodge club when Barry McReynolds defeated John P Fitzpatrick on a split decision in the 60kg decider.

It was also a weekend to remember for the Two Castles club from Newtownstewart as they picked up two titles – Boy 4 Tiernan Mayse beating Sligo’s Patrick Myers at 57kg and Jude Gallagher getting the better of Dane Finn at Junior 2 44kg.

Other Ulster winners included Lisburn’s Thomas Orr (Boy 4 50kg), Shane O’Gorman (St Malachy’s Camlough) took the Boy 4 54kg title, and Monkstown’s Matthew Tyndall was crowned Boy 4 63kg king after beating Patrick Lawlor.

In the Junior 1 championships, Emyvale’s Oisin Treanor beat Ryan Downey to take the 46kg title, while Cookstown’s Francis Quinn added to his burgeoning reputation with victory over Owney McDonagh at 80kg.

Michael Ward (Omagh Boys & Girls) took the 88kg title, and Monkstown’s Sean Mari beat Adam Hession in the Junior 2 44kg final.