RIO Olympian Brendan Irvine has called on Sport Ireland and the Irish Athletic Boxing Association to start “looking after” fighters – or risk losing some big names.
Irvine is one of only six boxers currently receiving funding after money for the High Performance Unit was slashed by 200,000 euro in light of a disappointing Olympic Games last summer.
Indeed, the 21-year-old saw his own funding cut in half, from 40,000 euro to 20,000, despite reaching such a major competition at such a young age, and feels the system is failing fighters.
He pointed to the likes of Sean McComb and Kurt Walker – who, along with Irvine, arrived in Germany today ahead of the start of the AIBA World Championships this Friday.
Despite being two of the most gifted boxers in the country, boasting six Irish elite titles between them, neither is on the funding programme for 2017.
Walker, like Irvine, will receive at least £12,000 next year after winning a bronze medal at June’s European Championships.
But, while that takes off some of the pressure in Hamburg, Irvine feels the funding system should be reconsidered in order for Sport Ireland to get the best from their athletes.
“It’s not great to be constantly looking over your shoulder,” said the St Paul’s, Antrim stylist.
“Sean and Kurt have been down in Dublin this whole year with not a penny. It’s frightening to think, and fair play to them for actually making the effort and going for it.
“People don’t see that side of it. Other countries have a development podium system whereas we don’t, so if you’re not bringing medals home, you’re gone – the ship has sunk, that’s you done.
“It’s not great the way it all works. If there’s no boxers, what are they going to do then? They’re the ones winning the medals, doing the business in the ring.
“You need to look after them.”
Since Rio, reigning flyweight king Irvine has always stated his intention to try and make it to a second Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, but admits now that he can’t be so sure, adding: “I’m just going to play it by ear and see how it plays out.”
For the minute though, such concerns will be put to one side as Irvine gears up for a second tilt at the World Championships, having reached the quarter-finals two years ago.
He spent last week at the English institute of sport in Sheffield with the rest of the Ireland team, and found a couple of familiar faces waiting for him – Daniel Asenov and Niall Farrell.
Irvine dramatically defeated Bulgarian Asenov in a box-off to qualify for Rio, while he has unfinished business with talented teenager Farrell after the Birmingham boxer beat him at the semi-final stage of the Europeans.
Both are also preparing for the Worlds, and Irvine insists he would have no fear of coming up against either man again.
“Sparring’s sparring and that’s it, you just get in and do it,” he said.
“I’d never come up against him [Farrell] before, it was his first major championships for England, and he probably did take me by surprise a bit.
“I’d never seen any footage of him so it was weird going into the unknown, but that’s the way it goes.
“You have to be confident going into the ring, and I’d be confident against anybody in the world at my weight, regardless of how I’ve done against them before.
“It’s a World Championships, everybody’s there for the one thing. I’d love to go there and get a medal, and if I do then I’ll worry about changing the colour.”
