IABA’s finals Safeguarding 1 course of the year, on December 4th, is now available for booking.

In 2025, IABA is delivering 12 Safeguarding One courses, 4 Safeguarding Two courses and a minimum of 1 Safeguarding Three course.

IABA is also open, on request, to providing Safeguarding One and/or Safeguarding Two learning in person, at a county board or provincial unit level. County Boards and Provinical Units who wish to commission in-person delivery of this learning are invited to make contact with IABA National Safeguarding Manager, Stephen Flynn, via stephen@iaba.ie

Safeguarding One

All adults – coaches, committee members & non-coaching volunteers – in every club who have contact with children are required to have undertaken Safeguarding 1.

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E20. 

Register here: https://shout.com/s/5tP2AMoB

Month	Date/Time	Delivery
Feburary	Wednesday 19th 18.30-21.30: Completed	online
March	Friday 28th 14.00-17.00: Completed	online
April	Tuesday 15th 18.30-21.30: Completed	online
May	Monday 19th18.30-21.30: Completed	online
June	Wednesday 25th 18.30-21.30: Completed	online
July	Saturday 26th 10.00-13.00: Completed	online
August	Friday 22nd 14.00-17.00: COMPLETED	online
September	Monday 22nd 18.30-21.30: COMPLETED	online
October	Wednesday 22nd 18.30-21.30: COMPLETED	online
November	Tuesday 18th 18.30-21.30: COMPLETED	online
December	Wednesday 4th 18.30-21.30	online

Safeguarding Two

The aim of this workshop is to help the Club Children’s Officer to carry out their role and support the implementation of best practice in the club. Participants will also receive a Club Children’s Officer Action Planning document as part of the training.

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E20. 

Register here: https://shout.com/s/o3NuYG4s

Quarter	Date/Time	Delivery
Quarter 1-Feburary: COMPLETED	12th 18.30-21.230	online
Quarter 2-May: COMPLETED	22nd 18.30-21.30	online
Quarter 2- August: COMPLETED	18th 18.30-21.30	online
Quarter 2- December	11th 18.30-21.30	online

In 2024, IABA delivered 14 Safeguarding 1 basic awareness courses, online and in person, providing this vital learning to 207 coaches and club administrators. IABA also delivered two Safeguarding Two courses to 28 Club Children’s Officers.

21 remaining Intermate Championships, as the competition moves to The National Stadium, Dublin.

 In all, 123 bouts are being boxed over the course of the tournament, by in excess of 140 boxers.

All drawsheets are available here

Semi Finals | Friday, November 28th

All programmes are subject to change. Boxing begins at 6pm.

Advisories

Boxing on November 28th and 29th will take place at the National Stadium.

Weigh-ins will take place on Fridays from 8am to 9am, and again from 12pm to 1pm. Weigh-ins on Saturdays will take place between 8am and 9am.

The withdrawal of any boxer should be notified without delay to National Registrar, Stephen Connolly, via +353 86 154 6746 or registrar@iaba.ie

Coaches who have not registered with National Secretary Tara Mari via secretary@iaba.ie will not be permitted entry to the field of play.

Finals | Saturday, November 29th

All programmes are subject to change. Boxing begins at 11m

Irish Boxing is partnering with Sligo Traveller Support Group to offer community through boxing to women and girls during 16 Days of Activism from today.

Beginning on November 25^th,  “16 Days of Activism” is an international campaign against gender-based violence that runs annually beginning on the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and ending on Human Rights Day on December 10^th. The world-wide campaign aims to raise awareness, galvanize advocacy, and promote action to end violence against women and girls globally.

IABA is offering free non-contact boxing training sessions in Cranmore, Abbeyquarter Community Centre in Sligo between 11am and 12pm on November 26^th & 28^th, and December 1^st, 3^rd, 8^th and 10^th. These sessions are open to all women and girls who wish to take part.

The sessions will be delivered by IABA Sligo Development Officer, Maeve Clarke, who says “The partnership between IABA and Sligo Traveller Support Group shows the power of sport to unite communities and foster resilience. During the 16 Days of Activism, we’re using boxing to champion safety, strength, and equality for all women and girls. These free, non-contact sessions are about connection, empowerment, and solidarity through sport, and we hope this will become an annual programme.”

Support services for those experiencing domestic violence are available here:

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association wants to centre the voices of leaders of the future in the development of our sport, and is creating an IABA Youth Forum, for boxers aged 15 to 23.

This Youth Forum is a key part of our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, In Your Corner, and is part of a series of member events built on collaboration, openness and transparency, including the Club Forum on November 15^th and the Boxing Forum in January.

This Forum will meet four times a year, and will discuss and make recommendations on matters including:

• Why young athletes leave boxing and how best to retain them
• What changes would you like to see in our sport at club level?
• What changes would you like to see in our sport at national level?
• Competitions: are there enough competitions for your age & weight?
• How should IABA promote & platform younger athletes?
• The boxing pathway for young athletes
• The coaching pathway for young athletes
• The volunteer pathway for young athletes

Expression of Interest

Expressions of interest are welcome from all boxers aged 15 to 23 in the year of birth who are members of successfully affiliated clubs registered in their club’s Blocworx portal.

Boxers are invited to put themselves forward HERE https://shout.com/s/oMooRYoc

• The Expression of Interest window will remain open until midnight on November 30^th
• Contact will be made with all those who completed an EOI in the period December 1^st-7^th.
• An introductory Zoom meeting will take place at 6pm on Friday, December 19^th.
• The first meeting of the Youth Forum will take place on Saturday, January 24^th at XX location.

For any queries, please contact National Development Manager James Geraghty via james@iaba.ie

Team Ireland will return from Budapest, and the European U23 Championships with 6 medals, following the completion of all quarter finals and the beginning of semi-finals today.

57kg Natalia Fascizewska has won at least a bronze following a 4-1 split decision win in her quarter final with Gabriella Weerheim of the Netherlands. Judges scored the bout 29:28; 29:28; 29:28; 30:27; 28:29She boxes her semi-final on Friday, against Georgia’s Khuraman Kausumova. Reacting to her win, Natalia said “I’m delighted to get the win. It was tough, and I knew it was going to be tough. I stuck to the plan and we went through it and I got the victory so, on to the next! I’m just gonna stick to the game-plan. I know the girl in the semis so I’m going to listen to the coaches and do what I do best – perform!”.

50kg Louis Rooney has won at least a bronze medal following a 4-0 quarter final win over Oyan Nurullah of Turkey. Judges scored the bout 25:29; 25:29; 27:27; 25:29; 25:29. Louis is back in action on Friday. After his win, he said “I had to keep cautious, he kept coming in with the head alot so Ipicked my punches, moved and boxed. It was a tough fight. If you want to be the champion you have to keep getting up, so, that’s it!

Two Team Ireland semi-finalists fell foul of the dreaded 3-2 split. 48kg Tiffany Spencer had a semi-final battle with Yalgettekin Nurselen of Turkey. The 3-2 split decision went to Nurselen on a scoreline of 29:28; 30:27; 28:29; 28:28 *; 28:29. 65kg Ava Henry contested closely against Kyla Allen of England, and the split was awarded to her opponent on a scoreline of 29:26; 27:28; 29:26; 27:28; 29:26. Tiffany and Ava will both come home with bronze medals.

80+kg Cliona D’Arcy returns home with a bronze following her semi-final against Turkey’s Türkmen Hikmetgul The 4-1 split decision went to Hikmetgul. 29:28; 30:27; 29:28; 28:29; 30:27. 60kg Rebecca Kavanagh returns home with a bronze following her semi-final against Ukraine’s Tetiana Dovhal. The 5-0 decision went to the Ukrainian boxer on a scoreline of 27:30; 28:29; 27:30; 27:30; 27:30

65kg Roy Colgan exits on a 4-1 split following his tumultuos quarter final against Ukraine’s Artur Kuzmenko. Roy sustained two points deductions in the third round and judges sored the bout: 27:28; 26:29; 26:29; 26:29; 28:27

The competition schedule is available here

271 boxers from 32 federatons are contesting for gold at this inaugural confederation level World Boxing U23 championships. Competing federations are: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales.

Day Five

Thursday is a rest day at the tournament and remaining semi-finals will be boxed on Friday.

57kg Natalia Fascizewska takes on Georgia’s Khuraman Kausumova in Bout 3 of the Afternoon Session, at around 10.30am, Irish Time. While 50kg Louis Rooney takes on Azerbaijan’s Subah Mamedov for the chance to up-grade to silver in Bout Three of the Evening Session, at around 2.30pm, Irish time.

Friday’s programme is available here

Watch

European Boxing is streaming the tournament on it’s YouTube channel. Afternoon Sessions will begin at 10am, Irish time and the Evening Sessions start at 2pm. One ring is in operation for Semi-Finals and Finals.

Team Ireland

48kg Tiffany Spencer, Jobstown BC, Dublin

51kg Rachel Lawless, St. Brigid’s BC, Offaly

54kg Robyn Kelly, Ballynacargy Boxing Club, Westmeath

57kg Natalia Fascizewska, Castlebar BC, Mayo

60kg Rebecca Kavanagh, Mulhuddart BC, Dublin

65kg Ava Henry, Dublin Docklands BC

80+kg Cliona D’Arcy, Tobar Pheadair BC, Galway

50kg Louis Rooney, Star ABC, Belfast

55kg Pasty Joyce, Olympic BC, Westmeath

60kg Gavin Ryan, Ratoath BC, Meath

65kg Roy Colgan, Avona BC, Dublin

70kg Ryan Jenkins, Jobstown BC, Dublin

75kg Tadgh O’Donnell, Jobstown BC, Dublin

80kg James Whelan, Dublin Docklands BC

85kg Sean Mackay Trant, Monkstown BC, Dublin

90kg Garyn McAllister, North Down BC, Down

Support Staff

Team Manager: High Peformance Director, Jon Mackey

Coaches: James Doyle, Lynne McEnery, Jay Delaney, Ross Hickey (Grangecon BC, Wicklow/Defence Forces) and Paul Simpson (Saviours Crystal, Waterford)

Physio: Paddy O’Donnell and Rian Furley

Athlete Support: Aidan Walsh

R&J: Garry McGillion (Bishop Kelly BC, Tyrone)