To reduce the workload on clubs and coaches in arranging printing, completion and return of competition waivers and codes of conduct, and the workload on weigh-in officials in managing collection of this documentation, both documents have been converted to an online process. This was piloted during the BG4 championships, and 100% of the parents/guardians of boxers contesting this competition participated in the process.

Please share this link with parents/guardians of all boxers contesting the 2024 National BG1,2 & 3 Championships and the 2024 National Junior Championships. It is shareable by email, text message or WhatsApp.

https://shout.com/s/zBFWr33m

Please ask parents/guardians to complete the link March 30th. Review and signing takes under 3 minutes. It is a condition of competition that these documents are digitally signed by parents/guardians and boxers.

For queries or comments on this process, please contact IABA National Safeguarding Manager, Stephen Flynn – stephen@iaba.ie or +35386 074 8867

IABA intends to live-stream this competition, with our partners StreamSport and JW Player, and completion of waiver/consent forms for both boxers in a given bout is required for streaming to occur.

Competition Arrangements

These arrangements were communicated by National Secretary, Antoinette Faye McClean, to Provincial Units on March 11^th.

Venue: National Boxing Stadium, Dublin.

Dates: April 01^st – April 07^th.

Entries: An entry fee of €20 applies. Boxers will be pre-entered by their Units from the weights they won at in their Unit Championships. Deadline for entries received by Phillip Rooney boxing.referee@hotmail.com and sally@iaba.ie is 12pm on Monday 25^th March.

Any boxer beaten in their Unit championships but who was an Irish Champion at Boy/Girl 1 & 2 from 2023, is eligible for participation as the defending champion.

Draws: Tuesday, 26^th March, at 2pm. The draw is being conducted on the basis of pre-entry only.

Weigh-in and Medical: Boxers will weigh only on the day they box. Boxing Record books to be presented by the boxer at their initial weigh-in if not previously given to the IABA. Entry fee to be paid at the initial weigh-in.

Weigh-in times: In National Stadium from 8.00am – 9.00am. Boxing: 11am each day.

Duration of rounds: Boys & Girls 3 x 1.5 Minutes

Age Requirements: Boxers born in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Weights: Boy 1,2,3 (25 Weights)25kg – 27kg – 29kg – 31kg – 33kg – 35kg – 37kg – 38.5kg – 40kg – 41.5kg- 43kg – 44.5kg – 46kg – 48kg – 50kg – 52kg – 54kg – 56kg – 59kg – 62kg -65kg – 68kg – 72kg – 74kg – 76kg

Weights: Girl 1, 2, 3. 26 Weights)25kg – 27kg – 29kg – 31kg – 33kg – 35kg – 37kg – 39kg – 41kg -43kg-45kg – 47kg – 49kg – 51kg – 53kg – 55kg – 57kg – 59kg – 61kg – 63kg -66kg – 68kg -70kg – 72kg – 75kg – 75+kg   

N.B. It is a condition of entry that all boxers and their clubs have signed and submitted the Members Acknowledgement Form and it is the responsibility of the entering unit that this stipulation is complied with. 

Anti-Doping may be carried out at any stage of the championships and all boxers must advise the doctor of any medication they are taking or have taken in the preceding 4 weeks. It is imperative that all boxers adhere to the Anti-Doping Rules and Regulations. For any queries regarding this matter, boxers/coaches should contact Mr Larry Morrison, IABA Anti-Doping Officer on 086-0292476.

Attire: Boxers shall have one red and one blue vest but may wear their club colours. Boxers must not wear long sleeved shirts under their vests. Hair must be tied back, and swimming hats or hairnets should be worn under the headgear for boxers with long hair.

Gumshields: Red/Orange/Pink or variations of these colours are not allowed.

Coaches: They must wear track suits and runners at all sessions and endeavour to set a high standard of hygiene in the corners. No shorts, caps or hats are allowed. Only qualified coaches are permitted in corners.

Sportsmanship: All decisions must be accepted in a sporting manner. Any complaints must be addressed to the Chief Official, Mr. Phillip Rooney. Please show respect to all Ringside Officials.

A provisional calendar of Fundamentals: Assistant Coach course, up to October, is being shared. Provision of coaching course is dependent on the availability of Coach Tutors, who deliver the course. As provision of coaching course is dependent on the availability of Coach Tutors, this calendar will be up-dated as availability is confirmed.

Upon completion, Assistant Coaches:

• Are eligible to assist any level 1 coach or above in their boxing club.
• Are insured to coach within their boxing club.
• Can sit as number one in the corner for club, county and provincial competition.
• Can sit as number two to Level 1 coaches and above at national competition.
• Are eligible to assist in delivering schools boxing programmes.

Month	Course 1	Location	Course 2	Location
February	25th	Ulster
March	23rd	Munster
April	13th	Leinster	20th	Leinster
May	19th	Connacht	25th	Munster
June	30th	Connacht
July
August	25th	Connacht
September
October	27th	Connacht
November
December

Any member of any successfully affiliated club who wishes to qualify as a Fundamentals: Assistant Coach course can express their interest here. All coaches are required to be Garda Vetted/Access NI checked. All coaches are also required to undergo Safeguarding training.

With regard to the roll-out of Level One coaching courses, the content remains under review by the applicable Sport Ireland committee. This is the same process that all coaching courses in all sports undergo before release to their respective sporting communities. A calendar of Level One coaching courses will be released as soon as the content of the course has completed it’s Sport Ireland review period.

Those with Fundamentals: Assistant Coaching courses must gain at least 6 months of experience before applying to undertake IABA Level 1 (Club Coach) certification, on it’s release

As provision of coaching course is dependent on the availability of Coach Tutors, IABA’s Coach Education Committee is seeking nominations from Provincial Units for Coach Tutors; the selection policy is below and any queries can be directed to National Development Manager, James Geraghty, James@iaba.ie

6 Team Ireland boxers have now qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Reigning Olympic lightweight champion, Kellie Harrington, 57kg Michaela Walsh and 75kg Aoife O’Rourke, all became double Olympians on securing qualification at the 2023 European Games in Nowy Targ, Poland. Kellie and Aoife came home with gold, and Michaela with bronze.

They were joined by 63.5kg Dean Clancy (bronze) and 92kg Jack Marley (silver) in booking their tickets to Paris at the tournmanent.

Within the last 24 hours, 57kg Jude Gallagher, has done likewise at the 1st Olympic World Qualifier in Busto Arsizio, Italy. Unlike the European Games, boxers at the 1st OWQ boxed to quota, meaning they ceased competing on winning qualification – therefore, there were no semi-finals or finals, and no medals were awarded.

The 1st OWQ was among the largest boxing tournaments ever to have taken place. 602 boxers from 113 federations, supported by over 500 staff, participated from February 29th to March 11th.

Two more Ireland boxers, 66kg Grainne Walsh and 80kg Kelyn Cassidy, contested Paris qualification bouts in Italy – and both lost on 3-2 split decisions, the narrowest possible margins.

High Performance Director, Tricia Heberle, reflects on the 1st Olympic World Qualifier campaign, and plots forward to the 2nd Olympic Qualifier, in Bangkok from May 23rd to June 4th.

Images: Tara Robins Mari

Jude Gallagher has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, following a masterclass of boxing against Turkmenistan’s Shukur Ovezov.

This was Jude’s fourth bout of the tournament, following victories over Soulamaine Samghouli of Morocco, Mohamed Hussamuddin of India and Hichem Maouche of Algeria

Jude, of Two Castles BC who contests at 57kg, was dominant form the off, forcing standing counts in Rounds 1 and 2. He won the bout on all scorecards: 27:30; 27:30; 26:30; 27:30; 27:30.

Speaking to IABA just after his win, the 22 year old said: “Words can’t describe what it feels like. Ever since I started boxing. started progressing in boxing, my goal was to box at the Olympic Games. It was always in sight but now that it has come true I can’t believe it.”

And, Jude has praised High Performance coaches, led by Zauri Antia and Damian Kennedy, for their preparation and battle-planning: “Throughout this tournament my faith and trust in the coaches has just grown from the game plans they gave me and carrying them out in the ring. It’s sort of like a surprise to me, that this actually works, but it’s no surprise because they’re top-class coaches. Sticking to their game plan just got me over the line. Being patient was key, working on the outside of that southpaw got me over the line in the end.”

602 boxers from 113 countries registered to contest the tournament – making it the third largest boxing tournament in history. After nine intense days and more than 500 bouts, 47 quota places have been awarded, in all.

Jude joins Kellie Harrington, Michaela Walsh, Aoife O’Rourke, Dean Clancy and Jack Marley as Team Ireland qualified boxers for Paris.

Heartbreak, though, for Ireland’s 66kg Grainne Walsh and 80kg Kelyn Cassidy.

Images: Tara Robins Mari

66kg Grainne Walsh was the first of Ireland’s boxers between the ropes today; she contested Poland’s Aneta Rygielska, having claimed victory over Kenya’s Asiko Friza Anyango and Germany’s Stefanie von Berge. Walsh and Rygielksa have met three times previously, all of which were in 2023 – at Strandja, Feliks Stamm and Leszek Drogosz. Grainne was the victor on two of those occasions. The first round went to Rygielska, 3-2. In the second, Grainne gave a standing count, and saw a point deducted from her opponent. Nevertheless, the judges score cards for that round put the Polish boxer up, 3-2. The third round went to Grainne by the same margin. As, at the final bell, both boxers were tied on three scorecards, these judges were asked to select their winner, and they chose Rygielska. High Performance Director, Tricia Heberle says ” A strangely judged contest especially the 2nd round but what a tournament Grainne Walsh has had. So close.”

Images: Tara Robins Mari

80kg Kelyn Cassidy, victorious over Rafayel Hovhannisayan of Armenia, Wyatt Trujillo of Guatamala and Michail Tsamalidis of Greece, met 2023 IBA World Champion, Kazakhstan’s Nurbek Oralbay.

Both Kelyn and his opponent suffered defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Khyzhniak in 2023 – the Waterford man during the Paris Qualification Bout at the European Games, and Oralbay at last year’s edition of Bocskai Istvan Memorial Tournament.

This was a tight bout from the off, with split rounds all the way through – culminating in a 3-2 decision in favour of the World Champion. The judges scorecards read: 29:28; 28:29; 28:29; 27:30; 29:28.

High Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia:

The 2nd Olympic World Qualifier, which countries can contest at weights which they have not already qualified, will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 23rd to June 4th.

High Performance Director, Tricia Heberle:

What a day for @IABABOXING at the #BoxingRoadToParis2024 absolute roller coaster ride of highs & lows. More questions than answers as we navigate the world of judging. But, 6 qualified for @TeamIreland in Paris & more to come.
A great team effort over the last 10 days 🇮🇪💚🥊🏹

— Patricia Heberle OLY (@PattyFblp) March 11, 2024

Team

1^st Olympic World Qualifier Team:

50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow

54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU Boxing Club, Dublin

66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin

51kg Sean Mari, Monkstown BC, Dublin

57kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles ABC, Tyrone

71kg Aidan Walsh, Holy Family GG BC, Belfast

80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal, Waterford

92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin BC, Dublin

Session 22A

Session 22B

Session 23A

Session 23B

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) wishes to recruit a Regional Performance Coach, with the
successful candidate to work in the Ulster High Performance Unit in Jordanstown, Belfast. Boxing is
Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport with a rich history of medal winning performances across multiple
Games. Northern Ireland (NI) has produced some of the countries most talented boxers and Ulster Boxing
contributes significantly to Team NI and Commonwealth Games success.

The Ulster program is an important part of the overall IABA approach to high performance development
and sustainable world class performances on an international stage. This is a great opportunity for a
suitably qualified and motivated coach to make a difference in both a local setting and to the National
program.

This exciting role will require a strong technical and tactical knowledge of Boxing, high-level planning and
communication skills, proficient computer literacy, a good understanding of athlete development and a
proven commitment to the development of high performance Boxing.

Duties and Responsibilities:
To assist in the design of relevant training programs within the Ulster High-Performance Unit. To be
present when requested in a coaching capacity at all levels of squad training, training camps, sparring
camps and international competitions, at home and abroad. Duties and responsibilities outlined, in full, in the Role Description.

Essential Skills and Qualifications

• A minimum 1 Star Boxing coaching qualification; a higher grade is desirable.
• 2 Years previous experience coaching elite senior high performance boxers.
• Previous experience coaching talented Elite, Youth and Junior athletes in an High Performance
  boxing setting.
• Competent in use of Microsoft office.
• Advance planning and good administrative skills.
• Competent English language skills.
  Desirable Skills and Qualifications
• 2 Star or 3 Star coaching qualification.
• Previous experience in performance and pathway planning.
• Previous experience in a coaching leadership role in a HP boxing environment.

Desirable Skills and Qualifications

• 2 Star or 3 Star coaching qualification.
• Previous experience in performance and pathway planning.
• Previous experience in a coaching leadership role in a HP boxing environment.

Salary Range:
£30-£35k, but subject to qualifications and experience.

Contract Duration
Initial 2 Year contact with the possibility of extension. A six-month period of probation will apply.

Hours of Work
The successful candidate is expected to work 40 hours per week. However, given the nature of the
position, a flexible working arrangement is necessary. Such arrangements will be discussed and

Application Process
Interested persons are invited to submit the following by email to hr@iaba.ie:

• CV including 2 referees

• Cover letter outlining how they meet the essential skills and qualifications by providing examples of how they have previously fulfilled the duties and responsibilities of this type of role

Application closing date: Friday 25th March 2024 at 5pm

Shortlisting: 25th -31st March 2024

Anticipated Interview Dates: Stage 1: 10th April 2024 (Online) Stage 2: 12th April 2024 (In person). Please note that interviews will address the essential skills of the role, core competencies and a practical element involving performance planning and assessment of delivery.

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The post holder is required to undergo Safeguarding Training, to be agreed with the Head of Safeguarding. The successful candidate will be required to complete the necessary AccessNI checks prior to appointment. The Irish Athletic Boxing Association is an equal opportunities employer

Role Description