Entries are now open for the 2024 National U18 Championship. Entries are open for a period of 22 days and will close at 5pm on January 5^th.

Extra weights have been added, for male and female athletes. These are 44kg and 46kg.  Please note that, as these weights have been added after the opening of entries, and after entries have been received in numerous weights, the new weights will appear at the end of the weights list, after the superheavy weight in the male and female categories.

Please find attached the Competition Circular, Waiver/Member Acknowledgement Form and the 2024 National Youth Championships Code of Conduct. These two documents must be signed by the boxer and their parent/guardian and presented at the boxer’s first weigh-in. This is a condition of entry.

Competition Arrangements:

The 2024 National U18s Championship may be considered as an element in any potential selection process utilised in anticipation of contesting the EUBC Youth Championships, April 2^nd to April 15^th.

Dates:                                              January 11^th,12^th,13^th,14^th and 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, 21^st.    

Entries:                                            A non–refundable, non-transferrable entry fee of €20 applies, including in the event of a boxer withdrawal.  Online entry, via the Blocworx portal, is open until 5pm sharp, on Friday, January 5th. Entries will not be accepted without the payment of entry fees. All fees must be paid by 5pm on January 5th. Only boxers for whom entries have been completed and entry fees have been received will be allowed box. No late entries will be accepted.

Entry Form:                                    Affiliated clubs wishing to enter boxers into the championships must log-in to their Blocworx portal, using their unique username and password. Clubs who have not retained their username or password following the completion of their affiliation for the 2023/2024 season can contact IABA staff, Sally Ann Kinch sally@iaba.ie, James Geraghty, James@iaba.ie or Ciara Plunkett, ciara@iaba.ie

Draws:                                             Tuesday, 9^th January, 1pm in the National Stadium.  Only boxers entered through the Blocworx portal for whom fees are fully paid will be included in the draw.

Weigh-in and Medical:                

Boxers will weigh in each day they box. Individual weigh-in times may be given to participants, but this will be decided and made known prior to the event.  A medical examination will be performed on each boxer on their first day of competition. Boxing Record books to be presented by the boxer at their initial weigh-in.  

Weigh-in dates:

January 11^th – 14^th                 8.00am – 10.00am & 11.00am – 1.00pm

January 18^th – 21st          8.00am – 9.00am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm

Above times and dates will be dependent on entry and could change.

Boxing:               Times will be contingent on entries and shall be announced after the draw.

Duration:           Duration of rounds: Men & Women 3×3 Minutes

Weights:            

Men: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg,  92+kg

Women: 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg, 81+kg

Age Requirements:  Boxers born between 2006 and 2007, inclusive.

It is a condition of entry that all competitors and officials have a signed Waiver/Members Acknowledgement Form and adhere to any agreement made with the Association sponsors. For underage competitions, this Waiver/Members Acknowledgement form must be co-signed by the boxer’s parent/guardian. It is a condition of entry that the Code of Conduct for Young People with respect to this competition is signed by the boxer, and their parent/guardian. The fully completed Waiver/Members Acknowledgement and the Code of Conduct for Young People must be presented at the boxer’s first weigh-in.

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, IBA Anti-Doping Officer on 086-0292476.

Non Pregnancy Declaration forms must be signed.

Attire: Boxers shall have one red and one blue vest. In accordance the IBA Technical and Competition Rule 48.7, boxers may wear form-fitting arm and/or leg coverings. Hair must be tied back and swimming hats or hairnets should be worn under the headgear for boxers with long hair. No red, orange or pink gum shields are allowed A Boxer can have a beard and moustache, but either must not cover the neck and must not be longer that 10cms, in accordance with the IBA Technical and Competition Rule 4.2.5.2.2

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

Sportsmanship: All decisions must be accepted in a sporting manner. Any complaints must be addressed to the Chief Official, Mr. Philip Rooney. Please show respect to all Ringside Officials. A document stipulating requirements in relation to conduct, and the use of social media must be signed by all boxers and coaches at their initial weigh-in. Any misbehaviour or misuse of social media in a negative manner from members of any club relating to a boxer/coach/official will be reported to the Disciplinary Officer

Please note: 

• The U18s Championship will be run under IBA Technical & Competition rules, as adopted on September 1st, 2022.  
• Referees & Judges for the U18s Championships will not be allowed enter the field of play as a coach with their club boxer.
• All Referee & Judges must bring their record books.

Competition Circular:

Waiver/Member Acknowledgement Form

Code of Conduct: 2024 National U18 Championship

Olympic champion and double Olympian, Kellie Harrington, is highlighting the vital role strength and conditioning will play in her #RoadToParis.

“S&C has played a massive role in my journey – we do S&C all year round, but, particularly before a big tournament, we will start a bloc, staring 9 or 10 weeks out. And what I really like about it is that you start to see the difference in your body and the impact that strength and conditioning is having on your body and on your performances. There is strength work, which makes you stronger, and there is conditioning work which gives you better endurance. And then you also have explosive work, as well, which you also do in your strength and conditioning sessions, and that’s just making you more. The sessions aren’t overly long or anything like that, but it is smart training. They are compacted, get in, get out, get it done…And I LOVE strength and conditioning”. Kellie’s S&C programmes are designed, delivered and monitored by Sport Ireland Sport Institute S&C Specialist, John Cleary, who has over 20 years experience in working with Elite boxers.

Kellie, after her semi-final in Tokyo, said “The last mile is never crowded and that’s the way it does feel sometimes. It does feel very lonely, but I suppose that’s the difference to be able to hold on in there and keep it going.” It is that instinct, that perseverance and drive, that brought her gold. And, she added before her Olympic final “I’ve had heartbreak. I know what it is to fail and I know how hard it is to pick yourself back up after that. This is why I am who I am, and why I am here today, because I’m not afraid of failure. I know what it is. I’m Kellie Harrington. I’m myself and I make my own pathway.”

Kellie became a double Olympian during the 2023 European Games – where she qualified for Paris and came home with lightweight gold. Throughout this series, as Kellie prepares for the Paris Games, she will share the habits she has built, in the ring, in training and in life, that set her apart.

This includes how she stays motivated, how she uses nutrition, S&C and roadwork to make the most of her boxing skills, how she plans her training within the High Performance framework, supported by Sport Ireland, how she balances a demanding training schedule, her self-care and mental health practices.

In the first episode of The Last Mile, Kellie shared how she finds her motivation at this stage in her career “My motivation comes from the fact I have a target on my back at the moment – and I really need to work hard, as I am the target. I just wanna be better, every day. Not by a long mile, but by a very, very small percent; not even one percent, smaller than that. And, as long as I keep making those little small adjustments, then, I’ll be happy – but, if I can’t make the adjustments, then we have to go back and we have to wonder why and try and fix that problem but my motivation is that I am the target and I’ll have to keep getting better, keep improving. Bit by bit. Day by day.”

And in the second episode, Kellie shared her experience of roadwork, an element of her training she finds difficult “Honestly, roadwork, its not my cup of tea, at all. But, I know – actually, before I have a running session; if we have a running session on Wednesday, before on Tuesday, the night before, I’ll be tossing and turning with the anxiety of having roadwork on a Wednesday morning. It really isn’t my cup of tea. I’m not the worst at it but I get so – I get a knot in my tummy before I do it. But I also know that it’s so beneficial and I feel if I’m doing roadwork, it’s specific roadwork – I’m not going out and pounding the pavements. Everything is specific to what we are doing. Our (S&C) Coach, John Cleary, he would have our running programme sorted for us before we even turn up. So, it could be three 3 minutes – and you’ve to, not go all out because it’s impossible to do that, but go fast, maybe 90% of your pace for the three minutes. Other times, then, we’ll do 3 800s. So, we should be getting them under 3 minutes by the time it comes around to doing 3 800s. So, when I’m finished, after all that anxiety the night before and turning up and absolutely dreading it, I’m just so happy and relieved that it’s been and its done. But I also use it when I’m running – it’s a mindset thing, because running, for me, is extremely hard. So, I feel like, if I’m able to get up, drag myself to the running track and do that session then I can totally get up, drag myself to that ring and fight anyone in the world.”

In the third episode, Kellie spoke about mindset “Mindset is a really, really big thing in boxing because, at the end of the day, when you step in between those ropes, it’s just you and your opponent. The way I work with getting my mind right, and set, and straight before I get in in between the ropes – for instance, I spoke about running there and, I’m not gonna say I don’t like it, but how it really isn’t my cup of tea, and I use that, when I’m getting in to the ring. I’m like – I’ve done that, I’ve done the hard work; I’ve gone on to the running track when I know it’s something I struggle with and that isn’t my cup of tea. And, I wasn’t actually too bad on the track when I did it, so that’s money in the bank for my mindset. It’s about being in the gym, and doing the uncomfortable things to make yourself feel comfortable. Then mindset, then, is really really strong when it needs to be strong. When you need that to be strong and at its finest is just before you step in those ropes. 45 minutes before you get in there, you need to have a really solid mindset – and I find that my training backs up my mindset”

Following the unanimous decision by clubs at IABA’s AGM on November 18th to increase the number of independent Directors on the Board of Directors from 2 (two) to 4 (four) to appoint gender representative Board, nominations are now open for the appointment of a female Member Director.

This appointment will be the third Member Director on the IABA’s Board, following on from the election of Fiona Hennigan and Darren O’Neil in December 2022. The current membership of IABA’s Board of Directors is:

• Chair (Independent): Niall O’Carroll
• President’s representative: Neil Gough
• Ulster Provincial Council representative: Charlie Toland
• Connacht Provincial Council representative: Tom Geraghty
• Munster Provincial Council representative: Ted Barry, President
• Leinster Provincial Council representative: Art O’Brien
• Directly Elected Member: Fiona Hennigan
• Directly Elected Member: Darren O’Neill

The IABA now seeks to appoint a new female board member, to ensure we have the capacity and skills to oversee the next phase of our work; to include an individual who possesses one or more of the following skills and competencies:

Experience of Finance at a senior level

Corporate Governance

Human Resources

Public Relations

Former Irish Champion Boxer with extensive major international competition/experience.

This role is an unpaid voluntary position. Board members are expected to attend between 6 and 8 board meetings per year, and to participate in the life of the organisation between board meetings. Board meetings are generally on weekday evenings in the National Stadium, or by Zoom, or in other locations as the Board elects. Positions are advertised for a period of 2 years (term may be renewed).

Please email completed nomination forms to the Nominations Committee nominations@iaba.ie by 5pm on Sunday, December 31st, 2023.

All nominations must be accompanied by:

• Cover Letter
• CV
• Completed Nominations Form:

Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) is looking for a Company Secretary to provide high quality, professional company secretarial services and promote good corporate governance.

This position assists in the efficient administration of the Association’s Governing Structure; ensuring Members are fully informed of legal and corporate responsibilities and ensuring full compliance with statutory regulations and corporate governance.

Key Responsibilities

Company Secretarial

1. Responsibility in the organisation and administration of meetings for the Board of Directors and selected Committees. including agenda and all meeting preparation, circulation of papers, organisation of meetings and follow up to include minutes of the meetings.
2. Maintaining action logs arising out of meetings and driving completion of actions.
3. Manage electronic board paper software, including liaison with software provider.

4. Arranging and co-ordinating the election process for the IABA’s governing structure.
5. Oversight of statutory requirements, By-Laws, corporate governance, legal regulations and requirements. Input into the management of change to By-Laws and internal corporate governance where required.
6. Advising on corporate governance best practice and making recommendations.

7.   Manage the development and induction programme for the Board, Central Council and other relevant committees under the direction of the chair.

8. Ensuring compliance with legislation such as the Companies Act, Sports Governance Code, Protected Disclosures Act etc.
9. Act as point of contact to co-ordinate all Governance compliance reporting and Data Protection (DP) requests and ensure that statutory obligations, timelines etc. are adhered to.
10. Participate in any other IABA projects, events or activities as directed.

Person Specification

Personal Attributes

•    Confident and trustworthy individual who knows how and when to be discreet; •         A self-starter and team player with strong initiative and common sense;

•    This individual must be a people orientated, tactful and diplomatic person with good judgement;

•    Highly conscientious, flexible and detail orientated coupled with the ability to work accurately and efficiently to deadlines;

•    Motivated individual with the proven ability to organise and complete tasks in an efficient, methodical and organised manner.

Qualifications

•    Third level qualification in a relevant discipline

•    Member of the ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) desirable.

Experience

•    A minimum of 3 years’ experience working in company secretarial or similar

•    Knowledge of relevant legal and regulatory requirements, and corporate    governance best practice.

•    Ability to design and implement new ways of working, based on company secretarial and corporate governance best practice.

•    Ability to work independently, under pressure and to tight deadlines, managing competing priorities.

•    Able to deliver quality written reports or minutes with excellent attention to detail.

•     Ability to take ownership and drive projects forward.

Skills

•    Strong communication and interpersonal skills;

•    Excellent organisation and time management skills; •      Good project management skills;

•    Strong accurate minute taking skills; • Proficient in Microsoft Office;

General information:

Application closing date: 5pm, Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

This position will require at times an amount of evening availability with working hours spread across the week with time-in lieu.  The position will also require that the successfully applicant from time to time travels to IABA related activities/events. Costs incurred with be covered by the employer.

Interested persons are invited to submit their CV (by email) along with a covering letter outlining why they believe they are suitable for the post by email only to hr@iaba.ie

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association is an equal opportunities employer.

Role Description:

The IABA Ulster Branch has created this new post through external funding through the Rank Foundation’s Start Here Programme and are looking for a dynamic individual to join our

team as a Female Participation Coach to deliver high quality non-contact boxing sessions in schools and community settings for women and girls in various locations across Northern Ireland

A key focus of this role is the creation of transition pathways for women and girls, linking schools, community settings and boxing clubs. This pathway has two goals: to increase the

number of women and girls taking part in boxing and increase the number of female members in local boxing clubs. The postholder will work with boxing clubs and boards across Ulster to organise and deliver activities such as ‘Try It’ for women and girls International Women’s Week.

The successful candidate w be highly organised with the ability to multi-task and manage their time in the most efficient way possible. They will also have a high level of verbal and written communication skills. This post is an initial Fixed Term Contract up to October 2025, with the possibility of extension, subject to continuation of funding.

To Apply

To apply please send your CV and a Cover Letter to HR@iaba.ie.

The closing date is 1pm 2nd January, 2024.

The IABA is an Equal Opportunities employer.

Role Description: