To mark the opening day of boxing in the Paris 2024 Olympics on July 27th, IABA is providing a series of workshops, on safeguarding, athlete injury, coaching and S&C at the National Stadium
Members of successfully affiliated clubs are welcome to book to attend 1 workshop per session. Booking is on a first come, first served basis, and booking will close once the maximum participant number for each course has been reached.
IABA will make contact will all those who have successfully booked a place.
Free online Diversity and Inclusion Awareness training is available to all members through the IABA’s 360 Degrees campaign, which champions the message that there is room for everyone in the squared circle. IABA’s 363 clubs are home to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, from across Ireland, Europe and the wider world.
360 Degrees is supported by National Head Coach, Zauri Antia, double Olympic medalist and IABA Belfast Boxing Officer, Paddy Barnes, Tokyo and Paris Olympian, Michaela Walsh, European Games boxer, Daina Moorehouse, boxer Sammy Ilesanmi, High Five Boxing Academy athlete, Darragh Kane, Ulster Participation and Engagement Officer, Louise McKenzie, and IABA Inclusion Officer, Sophie Doolan.
“360 Degrees is an important step for IABA – boxing is already an inclusive and welcoming sport. People from all walks of life, of all abilities and levels of support need, are training, coaching and administering IABA clubs. This programme is aimed at further empowering clubs, and club members through our eLearning module, and will enable clubs to sign up to our 360 Degrees charter, showing their commitment to their club being open to everyone.” IABA Inclusion Officer, Sophie Doolan
IABA High Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia, who left his hometown of Poti, Georgia, to work in Irish boxing 19 years ago, say “Inclusion and identity are very important. Boxing is open to everyone. Training is open to everyone. Being in a boxing club is open to everyone. Not all of us can be boxing Olympic champions, but all of us can be in the boxing community. I know Irish Boxing, and I know how welcoming it is – Irish boxing welcomed me! 360 Degrees is very important for clubs to show their local communities they welcome everyone”
360 Degrees’ foundation is the IABA’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy, in which IABA recognizes and is enriched by the unique identity, life experiences, abilities, learning styles, knowledge and contribution of every individual within the existing boxing community and seeks to support the growth of our community to be even more inclusive of people from a diverse range of backgrounds at all levels of our sport including participating, coaching, officiating, volunteering, spectating and administering.
One of the key principles of the IABA’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy is that IABA will strive to achieve inclusion by creating pathways to participation, through working in partnership with clubs, representative groups, disability services and in consultation with people with disabilities and their families. The IABA commits to continued action to identify and remove physical, cultural, perceived, and other barriers to people in accessing our sport and our community.
It is through this principle, and partnerships with Sporting Pride, Activity Disability Ireland, SARI (Sport Against Racism Ireland) and in consultation with Vision Sport Ireland, that IABA created 360 Degrees. The campaign and programme includes:
The 360 Degrees Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit – This toolkit is designed to support boxing clubs in accessing the resources to allow everyone in their local communities to experience the benefits of boxing and being in a boxing club, no matter their background or ability.
The toolkit also looks at defining what an inclusive club is, engaging with clubs’ local communities, and providing modifications and training and environment for anyone who might wish them, all involving the key principles of openness and awareness.
The 360 Degrees Diversity and Intercultural Awareness eLearning programme – with practical guidance on language, culture and inclusion. All IABA club members can register their interest here. On completion of the modules, every participant receives a certificate of completion, bearing their name and their club’s name:
And for clubs, IABA has created the 360 Degrees Diversity and Inclusion Charter, which commits signatory clubs to supporting the growth of our community to be even more inclusive of people from a diverse range of backgrounds at all levels of our sport. Coaches and leaders of clubs which are signatories to the Charter should participate in the 360 Degrees Diversity and Intercultural Awareness eLearning programme
Its just 5 days until the first bell at Paris 2024 – and the advent of Irish boxing’s Olympic centenary
Another Munster man, Limerick southpaw Andy Lee, was Ireland’s only fistic representative at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece.
Lee, boxing out of the St Francis BC in Limerick and one of the first members of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association’s High Performance Unit, qualified for Athens at the 2004 European Senior Championships in Pula, Croatia.
The three-time Irish Elite champion was celebrating on the double in Pula as he also secured a bronze medal in addition to his Olympic berth.
Lee, a silver medal winner at the 2002 AIBA World Youth Championships in Cuba, made an impressive Olympic debut after outclassing Mexico’s Alfredo Lopez.
But he then agonisingly lost on a countback in the next phase to Nassan D’Dam N’Jikam of the Cameroon following a 54-point thriller.
Just two points separated the combatants on accepted scores after a 27-27 tie, but Lee, who had ex Irish head coach Billy Walsh working his corner, became the first Irish boxer to bow out of an Olympiad on the dreaded countback.
N’Jikam exited to eventual gold medalist, Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov of Russia, in the next phase. Gaydarbekov beat Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin, the current world pro kingpin, on a countback in the final.
The light-middleweight class was scrapped for the 2004 Games and Olympic boxing was now back down to 11 weight categories. Cuba, once again, finished in pole position the medals table.
Lee and Amir Khan, who won silver at the 2004 Games, were the only two boxers from Ireland and Great Britain to qualify for Athens. Both Lee and N’Jikam claimed WBO World middleweight titles after switching codes.
Team Ireland: Athens 2004
Middleweight: Andy Lee (St Francis)
Beat Alfredo Lopez (Mexico) 38-23
Lost to Nassan N’Dam Njikam (Cameroon) 27-27 (44-42 on a countback)
Check out Athens 2024:
A record 201 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the Olympic Games. The overall tally for events on the programme was 301, one more than at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Most Popular
Popularity in the Games also soared, as 3.9 billion people had access to the television coverage compared to 3.6 billion for Sydney. This global audience enjoyed coverage of never-before-seen sports such as women’s wrestling, which was included in the programme for the first time.
Records Tumble
Swimmer Michael Phelps won six gold medals and set a single-Games record with eight total medals. Leontien Ziljaard-van Moorsel became the first female cyclist to earn four career gold medals, reaching a total of six Olympic medals, while canoeist Birgit Fischer became the first athlete in any sport to win two medals in each of five Olympic Games.
Photo by Sam Barnes/SportsfilePhoto by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Aidan Walsh and Grainne Walsh have been named as Team Ireland Boxing’s Team Co-Leaders.
The Paris 2024 team has moved away from the traditional role of Team Captain, in favour recognizing the leadership roles and responsibilities all team members express. High Performance Director, and Paris Team Leader, Tricia Heberle says “Aidan and Grainne are outstanding members of an extraordinary group, in terms of the High Performance traits of accountability, professionalism and performance that they exemplify. Aidan and Grainne have both risen beyond significant challenges on their respective roads to Paris, and in so doing, have shown courage, excellence and integrity – traits which exemplify the Olympic spirit. ”
Head Coach, Zauri Antia, says “Every person on our team is a leader – they lead towards their own performance goals. I am very proud of every member of this Paris team, and how they have grown in skill and capability on this journey. Grainne and Aidan will be excellent Team Co-Leaders; they are already driving towards their Olympic goals and set a wonderful example to their teamates.”
This team is the largest Team Ireland Boxing Team since Rome of 1960. Only Australia (12) & Uzbekistan (11) will have more boxers in Paris. Team Ireland is one of only 3 countries to have qualified a woman at all weights – an extraordinary achievement, given Paris is only the fourth Olympic cycle at which women may box.
Schedule
The draw for the Games takes place on the afternoon of Thursday, July 25th. It will not be broadcast, but drawsheets will be available here on that evening.
The Olympics opening ceremony takes place on July 26th, and boxing begins at 2.30pm, Irish time, on July 27th. The schedule of boxing, including which weights will box on which day, is available here. Dependent upon the draw, Team Ireland’s 54kg Jennifer Lehane, 60kg Kellie Harrington and 63.5kg Dean Clancy may box in the opening two sessions.
The complete entry list for the Paris 2024 Games is:
Discovery+ is the official streaming partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and all bouts will be streamed here – anyone wishing the watch any streamed sport at the Games will need to create a free account to do so.
IABA is preparing to tender for the provision of an online system which clubs will use to affiliate, submit competition entries, book courses and other club-related business. IABA intends for any new system to evolve beyond the uses of the current online system.
IABA is inviting two suitably qualified members to sit on the CRM Working Group. The Working Group’s primary goal will be to set out how any new system will meet the needs of boxing clubs, with a key focus on ease of use. This Working Group may:
Conduct a SWOT analysis of the existing system
Engage in research on CRMs in use in similar or comparable settings
Input in to the pre-tender, tender and post-tender processes.
Have input in to the implementation and roll-out of any new system.
Members wishing to express their interest in being part of the CRM Working Group should:
Be a member of a successfully affiliated club for the current season
Be named in their club’s Blocworx portal
Be in good standing and, fulfill any two of the following:
Be a sport administration
Have professional experience in use of CRM systems
Have professional IT or UX experience
Members considering expressing interest to be part of the CRM Working Group are advised:
Meetings will not begin until September
The Working Group is expected to meet up to twice monthly, or as otherwise required, for a period of 6 months.
An indicative meetings calendar will be provided
Membership of the Working Group may involve limited international travel
