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All sporting organisations across Ireland are required to complete a Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit 2021-2022. The IABA is now providing information and support to clubs on completing this process.

Sport Ireland launched its auditing tool in March 2021. It is aimed at ensuring club compliance with the Children First Act.

The audit is designed to support National Governing Bodies, including the IABA, in strengthening adherence to safeguarding policies and procedures, thereby ensuring that children and young people partaking in sport are protected.

The Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit 2021-2022 is designed to enable clubs to:

• Self-assess adherence to Safeguarding Policies and procedures
• Identify gaps and actions areas

The Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit 2021-2022 is designed to enable The IABA to:

• Gain an overview of Safeguarding adherence
• Identify any issues of non-compliance
• Identify supports clubs may need to become compliant

The IABA will support clubs through this audit in these ways:

• Providing access links to the online audit process.
• Providing a step-by-step guide to completing the audit process.
• Providing access to video resources to guide clubs through the audit completion process
• Providing advice, support, and guidance through the IABA’s National Child Safeguarding Manager Declan Lynch, available at declan@iaba.ie.

The IABA will be emailing out a link to all clubs who have been identified as providing a relevant service under the Children First Act 2015. This link will provide the club with access to create an account and to login to access the online self-assessment questionnaire.

The online self-assessment questionnaire covers the following areas:

• Key Safeguarding Roles
• Safeguarding Training
• Child Safeguarding policies and procedures
• Additional policies, procedures, and guidance
• Volunteer Recruitment & Support
• Behaviour & Equality
• Communication

All affiliated organisations will need to complete the online self-assessment questionnaire and submit it before March 20^th, 2022.

Key Dates:

January 26^th, 2022: The IABA advisory on Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit 2021-2022 issued to all affiliated clubs.

January 29^th, 2022: The IABA provides audit access links and supporting resources to all clubs.

March 20^th, 2022: Deadline for completion of the Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit 2021-2022

For clubs which would like to review their safeguarding practices and procedures in advance of completing the Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit 2021-2022, the IABA’s suite of safeguarding templates and documents, are here. This resource contains 27 templates, policies and guidance resources for clubs.

IABA National Safeguarding Manager, Declan Lynch, says “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all for your continued hard work and commitment that has enabled children to participate in and compete in boxing in a safe and fun environment. I remain available to assist and support clubs throughout this very important process.”

If you have any questions about the Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit, please direct them to IABA National Safeguarding Manager, Declan Lynch, via declan@iaba.ie

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Programmes of boxing in the National U22 and U18 Championships on Friday, January 28^th, Saturday, January 29^th and Sunday, January 30^th have been published.

As previously advised, this will be a spectator-free event for reasons not relating to public health guidelines. The IABA hopes to welcome spectators back to the home of Irish boxing for the finals, on the weekend of February 4^th, 5^th and 6^th, and will issue an up-date in due course.

The IABA will be streaming the bouts on all three days on Joymo, free of charge and all you need to sign up is an email address.

The IABA will be streaming the bouts on all three days on Joymo, free of charge. You can find all of the streams here and all you need to sign up is an email address.

Friday, January 28^th will be streamed here

Saturday, January 29^th will be streamed here:

Sunday, January 30^th will be streamed here

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Competition arrangements:

Venue: National Stadium, Dublin.

Dates: January 14th – February 12^th

Entries: An entry fee of €20 applies.

Weigh-in and Medical:  Weigh-ins are daily, on the day of boxing.  A medical will be performed on each boxer on their first day of competition and boxers must complete all Covid-19 medical checks on each day they box. Boxing Record books and entry fee to be presented by the boxer at their initial weigh-in.

Weigh-in dates:  January 14th – February 12th        8.00am – 9.00am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm 

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

It is a condition of entry that all competitors have a signed Waiver/Members Acknowledgement Form and adhere to any agreement made with the Association sponsors.

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 must be signed.

Attire: Boxers shall have one red and one blue vest. Boxers must not wear long sleeved shirts under their vests. 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.

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.

Sportsmanship: All decisions must be accepted in a sporting manner. Any complaints must be addressed to the Chief Official, Mr.Stephen Connolly. 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.

Please note that, under AIBA rules, boxers who are engaged in ‘Other Physical Contact Sports’ are not eligible to compete. For more information please visit www.iba.sport

Covid-19 Precautions: For the duration of this Championships, Covid-19 protocols will be in place and all boxers, coaches, officials must abide by these. The exact protocols that will apply will be made known closer to the event as government guidelines will dictate. Any boxer, coach or official who fails to follow the protocols and directives issued, will be removed from the Championships.

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On Friday January 21^st 2022, the Government made a significant announcement in relation to Public Health Measures in the Republic of Ireland. 

The full announcement is here: gov.ie – Government announces that most of the public health measures currently in place can be removed (www.gov.ie)

A large number of the public health measures have been removed in the Republic of Ireland. Key items in relation to sport & physical activity are as follows:

1.       Formal requirements for physical distancing of 2 metres removed

2.       8pm closing time for sporting events removed

3.       Capacity restrictions for outdoor sporting events removed

4.       Capacity restrictions for indoor sporting events removed

5.       Seated only spectators at indoor sporting events removed

6.       Use of pods for indoor sporting activities removed

7.       Use of a COVID pass to access indoor events removed

The Government has reiterated the need for ongoing close monitoring of the virus. Sporting bodies, including the IABA are advised to continue to risk assess individual activities and events. This includes the continued implementation of good hygiene practices along with recommending symptomatic individuals do not participate in or attend sporting activities.

Ø  Mask Wearing: The requirements for mask wearing in settings where currently regulated for will continue until February 28^th 2021.

Ø  Close Contacts: This continues to follow the current advice for those with symptoms, cases and close contacts as announced by the government on 12 January 2022

Ø  International Travel: Organisations partaking in international sporting activity should continue to monitor the travel requirements both in Ireland and the destination country. Sports should also note that the use of the Digital Certificate will continue for international travel for the immediate future.

 Further information can be found here: gov.ie – International travel (www.gov.ie)

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and recognise the continued commitment of members and boxing clubs in implementing and supporting the various public health measures.

The IABA is aware of the desire of members of the boxing family to return to spectating at the National Stadium, in particular, to watch, in person, the remaining stages of the National U22 and U18 Championships. For logistical reasons unrelated to public health measures, this will not be possible for competition on January 28^th, 29^th and 30^th. The IABA hopes to be in a position to welcome spectators back to the home of Irish boxing for the latter stages of the competitions and will issue a further advisory in due course.

For clubs in Northern Ireland:

Keeping people safe at your sports club and at sports events:

It is now more important than ever that the sports sector follows the public health guidance published at NI Direct: –Coronavirus (COVID-19) regulations and guidance: what they mean for you | nidirect

In summary, if you are responsible for organising exercising and sports activities you should: –

• Carry out a risk assessment for outdoor sports events and activities where there will be more than 30 people involved;
• Carry out a risk assessment for indoor sports where there will be more than 15 people present;
• Encourage good hand and respiratory hygiene and provide hand sanitation stations;
• Ensure good ventilation for indoor areas – (keeping windows and doors open when possible) – https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-ventilation
• Ask people to wear masks indoors (and consider the use of face coverings in some outdoor settings and when in congested areas);
• Implement one way systems to avoid congestion in common areas;

27 bouts bouts were decided in the National U22 Championship at the National Stadium today

Day Six: January 23rd: U18 Men’s Quarter Finals

60kg Keelyn Roche (St Aidans) beat Johnny Joyce (Olympic Mullingar) 3-2
60kg Killian Geraghty (Crumlin) beat Joe O’Brien (Togher) 5-0
60kg Rhys Owens (Erne) beat Adam Sinnott (Rathnew) 3-2
60kg Paul Loonam (St Carthages) beat Jack Murphy (St Ibars/Josephs) 5-0
63.5kg Gareth Dowling (Docklands) beat Cahir Gormley (Illies GG) RSC2
63.5kg Kai Davis (Arklow) beat Jason Butler (Ballinrobe) 5-0
63.5kg Jon McConnell (Holy Trinity) beat Davy O’Neill (Charleville) 5-0
63.5kg James McDonagh (St Pauls W) W/O
67kg Matthew Tyndall (Docklands) W/O
67kg Barry O’Connor (Northside) beat Cahan Hallinan (Olympic Galway) 5-0
67kg Ben Ferran (Clonard A) W/O
67kg Cian Reddy (Portlaoise) beat Ethan McCaul (St Josephs U) 3-2
71kg Jack Gill (Drimnagh) beat Cillian Fowler (Cove) RSC2
71kg Stephen McCarthy (Charleville) W/O
71kg John Boyd (Gleann) beat Conan McKinney (Holy Family GG) KO1
71kg Darragh Gilroy (Fr Flanagans) beat Luka Gureshidze (Fr Horgans) 4-1
75kg Eoghan Lavin (Ballyhaunis) beat Farai Shayna (Celtic Eagles) 5-0
75kg Eamon Maughan (Cavan) W/O
75kg Liam Brennan (Sacred Heart L) W/O
80kg Luke Barrett (Paulstown) W/0
80kg Fernandez Badejo (Maynooth) beat Luke Ahern (Cove) RSC1
80kg Jack Lawlor (Templemore) beat Daniel Treen (Dungarvan) 5-0
80kg Jimmy Doyle (Templemore) beat Richard Cummins (Tipperary) 3-2
86kg Ethan Douglas (Cairn Lodge) W/O
86kg Jason Myers (Titans) beat Joel Hutton (Bangor Abbey) RSC1
86kg Kane Tucker (Emerald A) beat Kian Hedderman (O.L.O.L.) 5-0
86kg Luke Walsh (Raging Bull) beat Jack Doherty (St Josephs U) 4-1

Watch Sunday’s bouts on the Joymo app, here

Boxing resumes at the National Stadium on Friday, January 28th, at 6pm.

Day Four: January 21st, U22 Women’s Semi-Finals:
48kg Nicole Clyde (Antrim) V W/O
48kg Ciara Walsh (Smithfield) beat Amber Byrne (Arklow) 4-1
54kg Megan Colman (Baldoyle) beat Mai Phuong Nguyen (Maynooth) 5-0
57kg Aliyah Butler (Monivea) beat Kellyn Mangan (Celtic Eagles) 5-0
63kg Eve Woods (Corinthians) beat Keisha Attewell (Tobar Pheadair) 5-0
66kg Leanne Murphy (Togher) beat Mary Enright (Setanta L) 4-1
66kg Kaci Rock (Enniskerry) beat Tiffany O’Reilly (Portlaoise) 4-1

Watch Friday’s bouts on the Joymo app, here

Day Five: January 22nd: U18 Men’s Quarter Finals:

54kg Patrick O’Donnell (Charleville) beat Jack Harkin (Oakleaf) 5-0
54kg Nathan O’Hara (Paulstown) beat Luke Connors (St Munchins) 3-2
57kg Donagh Keary (Rathfirland) nbeat Martin Collins (Drimnagh) 5-0
57kg Raymond Joyce (Clonmel) W/O
57kg Alan Donnellan (Midleton) beat John Quipet (St Matthews) 5-0
57kg John Donoghue (St Michaels Athy) beat Leon McMahon (Glengormley) 5-0
60kg Josh McDonagh (Sean McDermott) beat Kian Duff (Bracken) 4-1
60kg Brian Gilroy ( Fr Flanagans) beat Brogan McComiskey (Gilford) 5-0
60kg Jason Nevin (Olympic Mullingar) beat Blaine Fitzgerald (Corinthians) RSC3
60kg Michael Faulkner (Fr Horgans) beat Drew Fitzpatrick (Gleann) 5-0
63.5kg Tom McDonnell (Docklands) beat Cole Byrne (Rathnew) 5-0
63.5kg Luke Hall (Rochfordbridge) beat Danny Lucey (Rylane) 5-0
63.5kg Jack Daly Castlebar) beat Cameron Crichton (Rochfordbridge) 5-0
63.5kg Cian Cramer (Cabra) beat Malo Davis (Monkstown D) 3-2
67kg Christopher Joyce (Cabra) beat Terry Hanna (Townland) RSC3
67kg David Blaney (Navan) beat Christopher Doyle (Templemore) 3-1
67kg Billy Moran (St Pauls Waterford) beat Dylan Little (Holy Family L) 4-1
67kg Jim Donovan (Our Lady of Lourdes) beat Chriostoir Browne (Oliver Plunkett) 5-0
71kg Bobbi Flood (Cabra) W/O
71kg Evan Kirwan (Drimnagh) beat Dean McAuley (Golden Cobra) RSC3
71kg James McGuinness (St Monicas) beat Ben McHugh (Monivea) RSC3
71kg TJ King (Ballybougall) beat Sam Sherlock (Bracken) RSC3
75kg Cyrus Palmer (Celtic Eagles) W/O
75kg Joshua Olaniyan (Jobstown) Evan Gillen (Clonard L) RSC2
75kg Feidhlam Behan (St Michaels Athy) W/O
75kg Troy Norman (Cherry Orchard) beat Sean Cope (Mourne All Blacks) RSC2
80kg Charlie Neill (Ardoyne) beat Sean Murray (Navan) 3-2
86kg Jake Walker (Lisburn) W/O
86kg Nathan Ojo (Esker) beat Sam Davey (Saints) 5-0

Watch Saturday’s bouts, on the Joymo app, here

Streaming of the National U22 and U18 Championships will continue, on the Joymo platform, next week

The IABA extends its sympathies to the Kehoe family following the death of Noel Kehoe.

The late Mr. Kehoe was an ex-President of the Leinster Council and a great stalwart of Irish boxing.

Beloved husband of Dolores and much loved father of Ross, Willie-John and Margaret, brother of Desmond and the late Vincent and Carmel.

He is deeply regretted by his family, daughters-in-law Sarah and Irene, son-in-law Gerry, grandchildren Noel, Margaret, Garry, Kevin, Jim, Cormac, Niall, Aoife and Darragh, nephews, nieces, neighbours and friends.

May Noel Rest in Peace