Boxing clubs are being invited to sign the Cara Centre’s Sport Inclusion Disability Charter.

IABA became a signatory to the Charter on December 3^rd, International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

This charter commits the IABA to:
• Being open and understanding of all people with disabilities.
• Access and create training for all clubs to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities.
• Develop and deliver inclusive boxing activities.
• Review facilities, venues and equipment to make IABA more accessible
• Promote the inclusive nature of Irish Boxing.

Over 20 boxing clubs have already signed up to the Charter – and clubs that haven’t yet done so are invited to consider becoming signatories to the Charter. On a club level, this means:

• Openness

Be open to and understanding of all people with disabilities

• People

Access training for our staff/volunteers to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities

• Activities

Develop and deliver inclusive activities

• Facilities

Review our facility/venues/equipment to make our organisation more accessible

• Promotion

Promote the inclusive nature of our activities, in a variety of formats

Accessibility and inclusion take many forms – some clubhouses may be on the first or second floor of buildings without lifts, which may be a barrier to wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. This is not a barrier to inclusion for people with other forms of disability and does not mean a club cannot sign up to the charter.

Clubs can sign the charter here, and find out more information.

And thanks to all of the clubs who took part in the survey on inclusive boxing training. If you have 2 or 3 minutes to spare, I would be grateful for your views. This anonymous survey is available here

Team Ireland know the path ahead in the Golden Belt – Nicolae Linca tournament, following the draws.

This Elite level tournament runs from April 3^rd to 9^th;  competition begins on April 4^th . Team Ireland includes 13 boxers: 5 women and 8 men.

This multi-nation tournament is named after Nicolae Linca, who won Olympic gold for Romania at Melbourne 1956, after edging Ireland’s Fred Tiedt on a split decision in the welterweight final.

48kg Shannon Sweeney meets Spain’s Marta Arbol Lopez in her semi-final. at 57kg, Ireland’s Jennifer Lehane takes on Ukraine’s Svitlana Umanska in her quarter final.

60kg Amy Broadhurst has a straight final against home boxer, Pita Daniela.

Gráinne Walsh opens her Golden Belt account at the Quarter Final stage against Hungary’s Vivien Bodai. While at 70kg, Christina Desmond meets Ukraine’s Mariia Siedaia in her opening bout, also at Quarter Final stage.

In the men’s draw, 48kg Ricky Nesbitt will face Ukrainian opposition in the Semi Finals of the competition.

57kg Adam Hession has be drawn against home boxer, Laurentiu Mihai Vaduva in the preliminaries.

Two Irish boxers are contesting at 63.5kg – Dean Clancy, drawn against Belgium’s Mohamed Boukala, and Brandon McCarthy, opens his account at the tournament at Quarter Finals stage, against Uzbekistan’s Kenaey Shobrunkbek

67kg Eugene McKeever will meet Georgia’s Lasha Gurili in the Quarter Finals, while Olympic Bronze medallist, Aidan Walsh, has been drawn against Uzbekistan’s Turgunboev Kromronbek.

At 75kg, Ireland’s Gabriel Dossen has a bye to the semi-finals, where he will face either German or Uzbek opposition.

80kg Kelyn Cassidy will take on Ukraine’s Bogdan’s Tolmachov in preliminaries.

Women:

W48kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s, Mayo.

W57kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU, Dublin
W63kg Amy Broadhurst, St. Bronaghs ABC, Rostrevor.

W66kg Gráinne Walsh, Spartacus, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
W70kg Christina Desmond, Dungarvan BC, Waterford/Garda Boxing Club

Men:

48kg Rickey Nesbitt, Holy Family, Drogheda

57kg Adam Hession, Monivea BC, Galway.

63.5kg Brandon McCarthy, St. Michael’s Athy

63.5kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Manorhamilton, Leitrim.

67kg Eugene McKeever, Holy Family, Drogheda

71kg Aidan Walsh, Emerald , Belfast

75kg Gabriel Dossen, Olympic, Galway.

80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal BC, Waterford.

Coaches: Dmitrij Dmitruk, Eoin Pluck, Igor Khmil

Physio: Robert Tuomey

R&J: Sean Duffy

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association, and the Irish Boxing family, is this evening mourning the passing of Belfast’s John NcNally, Ireland’ first Olympic medallist

John, who contested as a bantamweight, was just 20 when he made it to the final of the 1952 Olympic Games, in Helsinki. John overcame Filipino, Italian, and South Korean opposition in the preliminaries, Quarter Final and Semi Final. He was ultimately beaten by home favourite Pentti Hamalainen on a split decision.

Of his bout, John said ‘It was the last day of the Games and the host nation had not yet won a gold medal, so there was a lot of weight on the Finn’s shoulders to deliver. It came down to the three judges and the British judge gave it to me, while the American and the Austrian gave it to Hamalainen. I was devastated and in floods of tears because I was convinced that I had won the gold medal,’

John went on to contest the European Championships in Warsaw the following year and came away with bronze. Before turning pro, he represented Europe against the US in the Golden Gloves and was the victor over three American Golden Gloves champions. He was inducted into the Irish Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008.

John’s unprecedented podium finish at Helsinki marked the beginning of an extraordinary 70 years of achievement for Irish boxers at Olympic games. Boxing, as Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport, has claimed 18 of the country’s 35 medals. 9 of Ireland’s boxing medals have been won since 2008.

IABA extends its heartfelt condolences to John’s family and friends, and honours John’s unassailable position in the pantheon of Irish boxing. The IABA’s Chief Executive, Fergal Carruth, says “John was an absolute gentleman and will be fondly remembered by many in the Irish boxing family. A standout, naturally gifted boxer, John paved the way for all of Irish boxing’s Olympic success, winning our first ever medal (silver) in 1952. IABA hall of fame inductee John McNally was the first of a very select group of 18 Irish Olympic boxing medallists when he was beaten by the narrowest of margins by the home country Finnish fighter in the gold medal contest in Helsinki. His success as a boxer will be forever remembered by all who love boxing in Ireland.”

Affiliation for the 2022/2023 season is scheduled to commence shortly and take place through the Blocworx platform.

Thanks to all the clubs who have up-dated boxers joining since the beginning of the season in to Blocworx– this will ensure that the affiliation process for your club takes as little time as possible.

Clubs are advised to review the contact information for all officers – IABA uses the email data included in the affiliation process to communicate with clubs. If an officer has changed, please edit the contact information in Blocworx, accordingly.

Clubs are also advised to review the names and contact details of officials and committee members after their AGM.

Usernames and passwords issued to clubs for this season’s affiliation process have not changed, and can be used, at any time, to add new members. These were issued, by email, to all clubs in July 2021.

It is strongly recommended that officers use club email addresses as their primary point of contact for boxing matters, and not their personal email accounts – for example, XXboxingclub@emailprovider.com.

If any club needs assistance in updating the new members or contacts sections of their Blocworx portal, or would like their usernames and passwords re-issued, they can contact National Development Manager, James Geraghty through james@iaba.ie

A series of test matches will take place at the National Stadium, Dublin, on April 2nd.

The tests are taking place as part of Team Ireland’s preparations for the 2022 European Youth Championships, taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria, from April 10th to 22nd.

339 boxers from 38 nations competed at the 2021 EUBC Championships, in Budva, Montenegro, in October.

The Team Ireland test match series begins on Saturday at 11am.

Bouts:

Patsy Joyce VS James Faulkner

Jason Nevin VS Brian Gilroy

Caoimhe Kinsella VS Lucy O’Neill

Laura Moran VS Nicole O’Sullivan

Katie O’Keefe VS Carleigh Irvine

Adam McKenna VS Cian O’Toole

David McDonagh VS Sean Trant

Georgia McGovern VS Carol Coughlan

Dearbhla Tinnelly/Cliona Darcy Way/Judy Bobbett

Tom McDonnell VS Owen Cleary

Bobbi Flood VS Sean Brennan

Shakira Donoghue VS Natalia Fasciszewska

Winnie McDonagh VS Elizabeth Lloyd

John Donoghue VS Nathan Horrigan

Nathan Ojo VS Sean Dinnergan

Emma Keating VS Jodie Byrne

Yasmine Meredith VS Ava Hendry

Gavin Ryan VS Anton Genocki

Jim Donovan/Michael McCarthy/Shane O’Neill

Gabrielle Mongan VS Rebecca Collins

Esther Lambe VS Chloe Gabriel

Josh Olaniyan VS Ryan Lee

Bernie Cawley VS Jack Cooley