2 days remaining: Entries to the 2023 National Senior Championships.

Entries, through Blocworx, are now being accepted for the 2023 National Senior Championship.

The closing date for entries and fees is 5pm on Friday, September 29th, and the draw will take place on October 3rd.

Bouts will be boxed on the weekend of October 6th to 8th, and October 20th to 22nd.

Competition Arrangements

Venue:                                    National Stadium, Dublin.

Dates:                                     October 06th/07th/08th  and 20th/21st/22nd   

Entries:                                  An entry fee of €20 applies. Online entry, via the Blocworx portal, is open until 5pm sharp, on Friday, September 29th. Entries will not be accepted without the payment of entry fees. All fees must be paid by 5pm on September 29th. Only boxers for whom entries have been completed and entry fees have been received will be allowed to box.

Entry Process.                       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, October 3rd in the National Stadium.

The draw is being conducted on the basis of pre-entry only

Weigh-in:                               Boxers will weigh on each day they box.

Boxing Record books to be presented by the boxer at their initial weigh-in.

Weigh-in Times:                   8.00am – 9.00am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm in the National Stadium.  Finals                         

                                                will be 8.00am – 9.00am

Boxing:                                    Times to be decided after the draw.

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

Weights:        

Men: 46kg-48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, 92+kg

Women: 45kg-48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg, 81+kg.

Age Requirements:  Boxers born between 1983 and 2004 inclusive. Age 19 to 40 years for male & female.

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.

Non-Pregnancy Declaration Forms Female boxers must sign the non-pregnancy declaration form in their record book prior to entry.

Attire: Boxers shall have one red and one blue vest. Women oxers may wear form fitting long-sleeved black top and/or black full length form fitting leggings under their competition kit. Head guards are put on prior to entering the ring. Hair must be tied back and cloth 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 than 10cms, in accordance with the IBA Technical and Competition Rule 4.2.5.2.2.

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

Waiver: It is a condition of entry that all boxers and their clubs have signed and submitted the Members Acknowledgement Form.

Sportsmanship: No official, Referee/Judge should be subjected to abuse by coaches, families or spectators regarding decisions. All our officials are volunteers and any actions taken by coaches, clubs, families or spectators against officials, Referee/Judge will be dealt with by the disciplinary committee and Central Council. 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 and National Stadium staff

Yours in Sport,

Antoinette McClean

Hon. National Secretary IABA.

Ringcraft: Boxing Leadership, Mentorship & Education Programme for Women.

IABA is launching an innovative new programme for women in boxing.  Ringcraft is a boxing leadership, mentorship and education programme, and is open to any woman member of any boxing club.

The programme is in three phases. Phase One is essential, while Phase Two and Phase Three are optional, and can be tailored to the individual participant’s goals. In these phases, participants can select the learning opportunities that work best for them, for their club, and for their boxers.

Women taking part in Ringcraft do not need to holding a coaching qualification.

Phase One: Essential Learning

Online Brilliant Basics Mentoring Programme – Pre-recorded 5 hours learning

Live Zoom 1 – Intro to the Ringcraft programme

Live Zoom 2 – Group discussion around the Brilliant Basics online learning

Live Zoom 3 – Online Skills Development Session

Addition Education – Online

– Safeguarding athletes from harassment

– Anti-doping

– Communication and working relationships in sport

– Motivation and factors affecting motivation

Phase Two: Optional Learning

Sport Event Management

Supporting female performance in sport and fitness

Recovery techniques

Exercise & mental health

Microsoft Office

Phase Three: Additional Learning

IABA coaching, judging, refereeing certification

Education on the menstrual cycle and nutrition

Education in supporting participants in boxing with additional needs

Places are limited to 20 – intending participants can express their interest here. The closing date is 5pm on Wednesday, October 4th. Wait-listing or short-listing may apply if the programme is over-subscribed.

For more information, please contact IABA Women in Sport Lead, Sophie Doolan – sophie@iaba.ie and IABA Ulster Participation & Engagement Officer, Louize McKenzie, louise.mckenzie@iaba.ie

Thanks, Coach: Celebrating Boxing Coaches on Global Coaches Day.

IABA is marking Global Coaches’ Day by celebrating every boxing coach in the association’s over 350 clubs.

There are 2,531 qualified coaches in Irish boxing, of whom 400 are women. Each and every coach plays a pivotal role in the lives of their club’s boxers, and that positive influence includes supporting young boxers, in particular, in personal growth, confidence, and overall well-being.

In addition to providing hundreds of hours of boxing coaching training every year on a completely voluntary basis, IABA coaches are mentors to boxers, and instill discipline, motivation and a sense of community & belonging,

Without these 2,531 coaches, and the tens of thousands that have gone before them in the 112 years since the inception of the IABA, there would be no Irish boxing – the association’s hundreds of clubs would not exist, boxing would not be Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport and would not be there to help thousands of young people find their sporting passion.

Coach Education Resources

Qualified Coaches who might wish to upskill can engage in Sport Ireland eLearning:

Coaching Children: available here

Anti-Doping: available here

Safeguarding 1 online refresher: available here

Young Voices in Sport Toolkit: available here

Additional Resources

Coaches can download the Sport Ireland Safe Sport App here

Becoming an IABA Boxing Coach

Club members who wish to being their coaching journey can express their interest in IABA’s Fundamentals: Assistant Coach course, here

Global Coaches Day takes place during European Week of Sport, which aims to increase the level of participation in sport and physical activity in the EU.

5 days remaining: Entries to the 2023 National Senior Championships

Entries, through Blocworx, are now being accepted for the 2023 National Senior Championship.

The closing date for entries and fees is 5pm on Friday, September 29th, and the draw will take place on October 3rd.

Bouts will be boxed on the weekend of October 6th to 8th, and October 20th to 22nd.

Competition Arrangements

Venue:                                    National Stadium, Dublin.

Dates:                                     October 06th/07th/08th  and 20th/21st/22nd   

Entries:                                  An entry fee of €20 applies. Online entry, via the Blocworx portal, is open until 5pm sharp, on Friday, September 29th. Entries will not be accepted without the payment of entry fees. All fees must be paid by 5pm on September 29th. Only boxers for whom entries have been completed and entry fees have been received will be allowed to box.

Entry Process.                       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, October 3rd in the National Stadium.

The draw is being conducted on the basis of pre-entry only

Weigh-in:                               Boxers will weigh on each day they box.

Boxing Record books to be presented by the boxer at their initial weigh-in.

Weigh-in Times:                   8.00am – 9.00am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm in the National Stadium.  Finals                         

                                                will be 8.00am – 9.00am

Boxing:                                    Times to be decided after the draw.

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

Weights:        

Men: 46kg-48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, 92+kg

Women: 45kg-48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg, 81+kg.

Age Requirements:  Boxers born between 1983 and 2004 inclusive. Age 19 to 40 years for male & female.

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.

Non-Pregnancy Declaration Forms Female boxers must sign the non-pregnancy declaration form in their record book prior to entry.

Attire: Boxers shall have one red and one blue vest. Women oxers may wear form fitting long-sleeved black top and/or black full length form fitting leggings under their competition kit. Head guards are put on prior to entering the ring. Hair must be tied back and cloth 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 than 10cms, in accordance with the IBA Technical and Competition Rule 4.2.5.2.2.

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

Waiver: It is a condition of entry that all boxers and their clubs have signed and submitted the Members Acknowledgement Form.

Sportsmanship: No official, Referee/Judge should be subjected to abuse by coaches, families or spectators regarding decisions. All our officials are volunteers and any actions taken by coaches, clubs, families or spectators against officials, Referee/Judge will be dealt with by the disciplinary committee and Central Council. 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 and National Stadium staff

Yours in Sport,

Antoinette McClean

Hon. National Secretary IABA.

Boxing at the Be Active Festival as part of European Week of Sport.

IABA took proud part in Sport Ireland’s Be Active Festival at the National Indoor Arena as part of European Week of Sport

The festival is aims to increase the level of participation in sport and physical activity in the EU. 

Paris 2024 Olympian Jack Marley (Monkstown BC, Dublin), European Games boxer, Jennifer Lehane (DCU Boxing Club) and 2022 U22 Champion, Kaci Rock (Enniskerry BC) gave boxing demonstrations, and shared their boxing journey with visitors to the festival.

IABA staff, National Development Manager James Geraghty, WIS & Inclusion Officer Sophie Doolan, Safeguarding Manager Paul Hayes and Boxing Development Officers Maeve Clarke (Sligo), Kristian Bunici (Cork) and Mags Cross (Dublin), gave boxing taster sessions with everyone wishing to lace up their gloves for the first time,

Whether for sport-fanatics looking for interactive taster sessions for a chance to try out new sports or perfect their skills in the sport they love, take part in skill challenges, learn from inspiring speakers, expert demos and get tips from sport legends while surrounded by world class facilities that Ireland’s best athletes use, or for those family members looking to be entertained at our inflatable Fun Zone while relishing culinary delights!