IT is through the eyes of others that the magnitude of Jude Gallagher’s achievement is beginning to set in.
The 22-year-old secured his Olympic spot at the recent World qualifier, when the Irish team stayed largely within their own bubble in the northern Italian outpost of Busto Arsizio.
Gallagher boxed four times in Italy, with a convincing win over Turkmenistan’s Shukur Ovezov sealing the deal. Yet, while the tears started to flow as soon as his hand was raised, a quota place in Paris confirmed, the ‘Tyrone Tornado’ has been struck by the reaction ever since.
His first port of call after exiting the ring was up into the top tier of the E-Works Arena where dad John was waiting with open arms. Alongside family friend Gerard McLaughlin, he had been there all week, worry written all over his face as his son moved closer, step by step, to fulfilling his dream.
“That was an unreal moment.
“My da’s a massive part of my life, but also my boxing career. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be boxing - he got me started, then when he saw something there in me, he kept me at it, always made sure I was doing the right thing.
“He’s taken me the length and breadth of Ireland, across the world for sparring, anywhere I’ve been he’s followed me, supported me all the way. I’d be lost without him, so it’s massive for the both of us.
“This means a lot to me, but I know it’ll mean a lot to him too.”
John Gallagher found himself in more company as the week wore on. Daughter Grainne made the trip out with friend Zara, so too Jude’s girlfriend Jessica, while there was another welcome surprise awaiting the Newtownstewart man as he lapped up the moment.
“Ah, the days before my semi-final and final, I saw photos from the bar back home and it was bouncing, people coming in to watch the fights... it was unreal.
“And then I had a bit of a surprise, a lock of the boys who had been in the bar watching my semi-final against the Moroccan, after I won they got on the phone and booked the next flight out to Milan - straight from the pub to Dublin airport, to Milan, to the boxing.
“You want to have seen some of the states they were in! The form was good though. I couldn’t believe it when I saw them... I didn’t see them until after the fight, didn’t know they were there until they came running up to me after.
“It was class.”
The sudden surge in media attention has taken a bit of getting used to for the reserved Gallagher, but the folks back home were determined the occasion wouldn’t go unmarked – a travelling party going down to Dublin for his return home last Tuesday night, before a celebratory shindig at the local parochial hall on Friday night.
Staring out into a sea of familiar faces, all proud as punch as the countdown begins to Paris, Jude Gallagher gets it. Tommy Corr was the last Tyrone man to box at an Olympic Games, way back in Los Angeles in 1984, and the Coalisland man was sending messages of support after every bout in Italy.
The community will lap this up, and so too will the man himself, even though the serious business will really start ramping up now.
“It’s brilliant,” he said, “I’m chuffed to bits.
“I didn’t sleep a wink the night of the fight, partly because I had anti-doping and I was going to the bathroom all night, but the adrenaline was unreal. I was sharing with Aidan [Walsh]... he understood how I was feeling.
“The experience he passes on to me is massive. He might not think it but I take a lot of it onboard - he’s been there and done it, he knows how I’m feeling now
“It’s a real weight off the shoulders, especially after not qualifying at the Europeans last summer. I think showed when the result was announced what it mean... that was just pure emotion.
“All the stress, all the hardship and the heartache over the last while, it all come off in that minute.
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DUNNE AND DUSTED AFTER POOR INDIA SHOWING
FORMER Irish High Performance director Bernard Dunne paid the price for a poor showing at the first World Olympic qualifier, with his time in India coming to an end after less than two years.
Although the four women’s spots had already been filled by two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Parveen Hooda (57kg) and Tokyo bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), India’s men under-performed in Busto Arsizio.
They failed to win a single quota place, with eight boxers crashing out in the first round and just one making it to the make-or-break quarter-final stage – though the Indian coaches were frustrated with some of the decisions that went against their men.
And the Hindustan Times has reported that Dubliner Dunne tendered his resignation, with the Boxing Federation of India calling an executive committee meeting “to take a stock of the situation,” according to secretary general Hemanta Kalita.
Dunne, who had led Irish High Performance team from 2017-2022, including the Tokyo Olympics, succeeded Santiago Nieva as India’s High Performance director in October 2022.
Last year he brought onboard Dmitry Dmitruk, who had been part of the coaching team at the Irish Athletic Boxing Association. The Russian’s future in India is also unsure, with just four months to go until the start of the Paris Games.
India have one last chance to secure more Olympic places when the final qualifier takes place in Thailand at the end of May.
MEANWHILE, a six-strong Ulster High Performance team has flown out to Lithuania to take part in a multi-nations tournament.
Holy Trinity flyweight Clepson dos Santos, Rathfriland’s Donagh Keary (57kg), Erne’s Rhys Owens (60kg), Erne’s Anthony Malanaphy and Star’s JP Hale (both 63.5kg) and light-middle Matthew McCole will all compete at the Sociko tournament in Kauna, which runs from Tuesday until Sunday.
There will be shortage of experience in their corner, with two-time Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes and two-time Olympian Brendan Irvine joined by Holy Family coach Kevin Morgan.
