It’s 2 days to the first bell at Paris 2024 – and the advent of Irish Boxing’s Olympic centenary.
We’re revisiting every Irish Olympic Boxing Team, and today, it’s Rio 2016. Boxing at the games was overshadowed with controversy after there were doubts raised that results in certain bouts had been manipulated. These concerns were upheld in a report published in 2021. In 2019 the IOC stripped the AIBA of the right to organise the tournament at the 2020 Olympics, due to “issues in the areas of finance, governance, ethics and refereeing and judging”.
Team Ireland: Rio 2016
Katie Taylor, Lightweight, Women
Paddy Barnes, Light-Flyweight Men
Brendan Irvine, Flyweight Men
Michael Conlan, Bantamweight, Men
David Oliver Joyce, Lightweight, Men
Stephen Donnelly, Welterweight, Men
Joe Ward, Light-Heavyweight, Men
Check out the world record highlights from Rio 2016 – Twenty-seven world records and ninety-one Olympic records were set during these Games. The records were set in archery, athletics, canoeing, cycling track, modern pentathlon, rowing, shooting, swimming, and weightlifting.
All 205 National Olympic Committees qualified at least one athlete. The first three nations to qualify athletes for the Games were Germany, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, who each qualified four athletes for the team dressage by winning medals in the team event at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games.
The competition venues were clustered in four zones—Barra, Copacabana, Deodoro and Maracanã—and connected by a high-performance transport ring. Nearly half of the athletes could reach their venues in less than 10 minutes, and almost 75 per cent could do so in less than 25 minutes.
Venue Facts
Of the 34 competition venues, eight underwent some permanent works, seven were totally temporary and nine were constructed as permanent legacy venues.
Spotlight on Rio
The Rio Games also celebrated and showcased sport, thanks to the city’s stunning setting and a desire to lift event presentation to new heights. At the same time, Rio 2016 was an opportunity to deliver the broader aspirations for the long-term future of the city, region and country—an opportunity to hasten the transformation of Rio de Janeiro into an even greater global city.
Entries are now being accepted for the 2024 National U18 Competition. This competition will be used as part of the process for possible selection for the 2024IBA World Youth Championships.
Competition Arrangements
Venue: National Stadium, Dublin.
(The U18s Competition will be used as part of the process for possible
Selection for the IBA World Youth Championships.
(October 20th to November 06th.
Dates: August 16th,17th,23rd,24th and 30th, 31st.
Entries: A non–refundable entry fee of €30 applies, including in the event of a boxer withdrawal. Online entry, via the Blocworx portal, is open until 5pm sharp, on Friday, August 09th. Entries will not be accepted without the payment of entry fees. All fees must be paid by 5pm on August 09th. 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 2024/2025 season can contact IABA staff, Sally Ann Kinch sally@iaba.ie, James Geraghty, James@iaba.ie or Ciara Plunkett, ciara@iaba.ie.
As the U18 National Competition form a basis for team selection to international competition, please be aware that all boxers entering this competition must: (1) be members of an IABA affiliated club, (2) must be explicitly named in their club’s Blocworx portal, (3) be eligible to represent IABA under IBA eligibility regulations {4.2}, holding an applicable in-date passport, (4) boxers must have completed the applicable waiver/code of conduct process
No international competition kits to be worn by any boxers; boxers may wear club kit, only.
Draws: Tuesday, 13th August, 1pm in the National Stadium.
Only boxers entered through the Blocworx portal for whom fees are fully paid will be included in the draw.
Attention is drawn to the following IABA rule –
A club shall not include in its list of members the name of any person who is a member of any other club.
Accordingly, any club making an entry to the U18 competition affirms that the entrant is not a member of any other club, in any jurisdiction.
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 and Irish passports to be presented by the boxer at their initial weigh-in. No data will be retained from Irish passports
Weigh-in dates:
August 17th – 18th : 8:00am – 11:00am
August 23rd – 24th: 8:00am – 11:00am.
August 30th – 31st: 8:00am 11:00am
Boxing: Thursday, Thursday 11th at 7.00pm. Other times will be contingent on entries and shall be announced after the draw.
Duration: Duration of rounds: Men & Women 3×3 Minutes
Age Requirements: Boxers born between 2006 to 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.
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. Only qualified coaches permitted in corners.
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.
Please note:
Referees & Judges for the U18s Competition will not be allowed enter the field of play as a coach with their club boxer.
All Referee & Judges must bring their record books.
IABA is launching the Strategic Plan 2024-2028, In Your Corner, today, as Irish Boxing prepares to celebrate its Olympic centenary.
Development of this strategy was driven by members and included an online member consultation, in October-November 2023 and 7 in-person member consultation workshops at locations throughout the Association, between November and February. Consultations also took place with key stakeholders, such as SportNI, Sport Ireland, and the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
IABA’s Strategic Plan, In Your Corner, encompasses the period up to LA 2028, and key elements are:
Provision for the reform of the Association’s internal architecture
A High Performance Youth and Juniors Pathway, from grassroots to the top of the Olympic podium
Ambitious targets for member, club and coach growth
Redevelopment of the home of Irish Boxing, the National Stadium
Identifying and actioning funding streams, to better support the development of our sport.
Working to ensure Irish Boxing has visibility in the media outside the Olympic cycle
In Your Corner is Irish Boxing’s most ambitious strategic plan to date, a plan in which we safeguard our heritage, and shape our legacy – not only as Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport, but as the heart of the communities in which our clubs are rooted.
This plan is published as IABA approaches the 100th anniversary of Irish Boxing’s participation in the Olympic Games, having qualified a team of 10 – the largest since Rome 1960. Our sport remains Ireland’s most successful Olympic Sport, winning 18 of Ireland’s 35 medals. Half of Irish Boxing’s Olympic medals have been won in an extraordinary 20-year period of international success. Our ability to contest and achieve on the international stage, relative to the size of our Association, is virtually unmatched. This talent must be supported and protected at every level through our High Performance Programme. In Your Corner includes a High Performance Youth & Junior Pathway process, and Coaching and R&J skill-building to ensure we can build, even further, on the international stage.
Chair of IABA’s Board of Directors, Niall O’Carroll, says” As our community evolves, the Association must further develop to meet the changing needs of the Irish Boxing Family. This includes streamlining structure, creating more and better skill building opportunities for members in every kind of role in our community – from boxer, to youth and club leadership, regional and national leadership. We must invest in our community to ensure it meets the needs members have shared with us, but also allows us to open the doors of our sport to wider society and grow the number of clubs, boxers – competitive and non-competitive, coaches, R&Js and boxing administrators.”
Niall O’Carroll adds “We have many challenges to face at home and internationally. Our Association cannot continue to rely solely on our funders to finance our future development. Revenue streams must be identified and secured for investment in our sport, our visibility in the media should no longer be tied only to our remarkable Olympic success, and we must invest in technologies to better serve our community. We must also decide where our future, internationally, lies. That decision is within the sole gift of our members.”
Interim CEO John Nangle says “Our Association would not exist without the thousands of people who give, relentlessly, of their time to their clubs, their boxers, and to local, regional and national competition. This strategy was created by the Boxing Community for the Boxing Community, and their support of it ensure a bright and certain future for our sport.”
John adds “Key elements of this strategy include be a needs analysis of clubs, the recruitment of staff in membership services management roles, and the implementation of a CRM that will best serve the needs of our members. We’ll also be seeking an academic partner to conduct long over-due research in to the profound benefits boxing clubs have within their communities. This is an exciting time.”
The creation of this far-reaching four-year plan was a highly collaborative process in which all members of the Boxing Community could engage in a range of in-person, remote and online settings. Each member of the Boxing Community who participated in this partnership process brought with them an intimate knowledge of our sport and invaluable sign-posting of our path forward, together.
Notes
Development of this strategy, over a period of 6 months included:
Establishment of a Steering Group, comprised of members, staff and Board of Directors representatives.
An online member consultation
6 in-person member consultation workshops at locations throughout the Association
Consultation workshops with staff, funders and external stakeholders.
In Your Corner was developed with the facilitation of Maeve Buckley of Leading Sport
About IABA
Formed in 1911, the Irish Athletic Boxing Association is the governing body for boxing on the island of Ireland. IABA is home to more than 350 clubs and 17,000 members. Over 80% of our membership is under the age of 18. The IABA operates from the National Stadium in Dublin, the only purpose-built amateur boxing stadium in the world.
3 days to the first bell at #Paris2024 and #TeamIreland’s boxing centenary.
We’re counting down to the off by celebrating every Irish Boxing Olympian, and today, we honour the immortal team of London 2012. This Olympiad was the first in which women could box, and Katie Taylor came home with gold. Four cycles later, and #TeamIreland is one of only 3 countries in the world to qualify women at all weights
Team Ireland: London 2012
KATIE TAYLOR – 60kg Gold Medalist
F: Won 10-8 against Sofya Ochigava (Russia) Match Report SF: Won 17-9 Mavzuna Chorieva (Tajikistan) Match Report
QF: Won 26-15 against Natasha Jonas (Team GB) Match Report
JOHN JOE NEVIN – 56kg Silver Medalist
F: Lost 14-11 to Luke Campbell (Team GB) Match Report
SF: Won 19-14 against Lazaro Alvarez Estrada (Cuba) Match Report
QF: Won 19-13 against Oscar Fierro Valdez (Mexico) Match Report
2nd Round: Won 15-10 against Kanat Abutalipov (Kazakhstan) Match Report
1st Round: Won 21-6 against Dennis Villy Ceylan (Denmark) Match Report
MICHAEL CONLAN – 52kg Bronze Medalist
SF: Lost 10-20 to Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana (Cuba) Match Report
QF: Won 22-18 against Nordine Ouballi (France) Match Report
2nd Round: Won 19-8 against Duke Akueth Micah (Ghana) Match Report
PADDY BARNES – 49kg Bronze Medalist
SF: Lost on countback 15-15 t0 Zou Shiming (China) Match Report
QF: Won 23-18 against Devendro Singh Laishram (India) Match Report
2nd Round: Won 15-10 against Thomas Essomba (Cameroon) Match Report
DARREN O’NEILL – 75kg Team Captain
2nd Round: Lost 19-12 to Stefan Hartel (Germany) Match Report
1st Round: Won 15-6 against Muideen Olalekan Akanji (Nigeria) Match Report
ADAM NOLAN – 69kg
2nd Round: Lost 18-9 to Andrey Zamkovoy (Russia) Match Report
1st Round: Won 14-8 against Carlos Sanchez Estacio (Ecuador) Match Report
Check out the highlights of London 2012’s opening ceremony:
A total of 85 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) won medals, 54 of those countries winning at least one gold medal. Seven NOCs won their first ever Olympic medal: Bahrain (gold), Botswana (silver) Cyprus (silver), Gabon (silver), Grenada (gold),Guatemala (silver), and Montenegro (silver).The United States finished at the top of the table, winning 48 gold medals and a total of 104 medals. China finished second with 38 gold medals and 91 medals overall, and hosts Great Britain came in third place, winning 29 gold medals and 65 medals overall in their best performance since London hosted its first Summer Olympics in 1908, pushing Russia—who won 18 gold medals and 65 medals in total, after doping redistributions (initially 24 gold and 82 total)—into fourth place.
Olympic Park On The Spotlight
The London 2012 Games were centred around the Olympic Park in East London, which is the site of a number of new sports venues. Up to 180,000 spectators a day entered the Park to enjoy the Games, making it the principal focus of Olympic activity. The main venues—the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velodrome and BMX Circuit, as well as the hockey, handball and basketball arenas—were easily accessible through a network of footbridges and walkways within the Park.
The Olympic Village was within walking distance of all the venues in the Park, enhancing the experience for athletes and officials. The use of other prestigious venues—such as Wembley Stadium for football, the All-England Club in Wimbledon for tennis, Lord’s Cricket Ground for archery and Horse Guards Parade for beach volleyball—was also a feature of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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
