ULSTER Boxing president Kevin Duffy insists the provincial body will do “everything we can” to ensure all of its clubs are able to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the space of 24 hours last week, two clubs – Tullow ABC in Carlow and St Teresa’s in Bray – found themselves without a home as a consequence of the ongoing crisis.
Tullow, who have around 80 members, said their landlord refused to freeze rent after the club was forced to close its doors in March while St Teresa’s – home to recently retired European Games bronze medallist Regan Buckley – saw the premises they had occupied sold.
It is a worrying time for clubs across the country, and Duffy insists his priority is to try and avoid any casualties.
“The hope is we don’t lose any clubs - that they’re struggling to get back together again and get back affiliated when all this is over,” said Duffy, a coach at St Joseph’s, Derry.
“There’s no doubt the clubs are suffering and there’s a worry about that. Some are coming to us and saying they’re shut down, no income coming in, having to pay rent – there’s big implications right across. We will do everything we can to make sure everybody gets affiliated again."
Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) president Dominic O’Rourke confirmed that clubs in the south can reopen their doors on August 10, in accordance with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s five-point plan.
Despite awaiting government guidance regarding steps for the safe return of boxing in the north - with no specified date offered up in the Northern Ireland Executive’s lockdown exit plan – the Ulster Council is planning along similar lines.
Duffy, though, feels it could be longer – possibly even into 2021 – before competitive boxing is able to return in Ireland.
“I’d be hopeful we can get back into gyms. We’ve a draft paper there we’re looking at of how exactly we do that – how we can get back to training, how we can get back to competition.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes but even trying to get the clubs open again safely for the different age groups, and then for the coaches to go in and manage, it’s probably quite similar to those working on how to get children back to school.
“Safety is the priority for everybody. I’m not sure there will be any competitive boxing this side of Christmas, to be honest. We just have to see where things are at.
“We’re probably in a slightly different position to most sports because we don’t depend on gate receipts or audience coming in to keep us going, though obviously it’s missed.
“One of the things driving the timeframe at the minute too is the whole issue around insurance as well – our insurance is effectively on hold until we get everything up and running again.
“It was agreed that it’s pretty much all or nothing, so rather than open up our insurance again to allow people to do some work outside or in small groups, it would be unfair on clubs who are maybe struggling to pay their insurance.
“We all know everybody wants to get back. We were glad of the break for about a week and then you miss it. But from any ones I’ve spoke to, people realise that we need to be thinking about how we can get back and make it safe for everybody.
“We have older members who are coaches, we have officials and administrators all to think of as well as the boxers. We have a responsibility to make sure we’re not stepping out of synch with everybody else, but we’re not being overly cautious either.
“We’re trying to listen to the best advice and follow that.”
In his statement outlining the IABA’s position looking ahead, O’Rourke said he hoped “the gradual restarting of activities should enable us all to get back to as close to normality as this pandemic will allow”.
“We are very conscious that there are significant consequences of social distancing measures,” added the veteran St Michael’s, Athy coach.
“The normal structures of daily life – work, school, sport, entertainment – have temporarily ceased to exist. As we reopen, we will be living our daily lives in modified ways for as long as this pandemic remains.
“Boxing has been dealt a serious body blow by this pandemic, and we are all under varying degrees of pressure across all levels of our sport. But we will persevere, and as an organisation, do everything we can to help our clubs to get up and running as quickly as possible.
“Please be aware the Covid-19 situation remains fluid and circumstances can change very quickly so we will continue to monitor the situation very closely and provide updates as necessary.”
