(JAN 16)
Having won a fifth successive European 60kg title in Rotterdam
in October and a fourth in a row European Union crown in
Katowice earlier in the Summer, Katie Taylor received the
coveted ‘ Boxer of the Year’ award at the Irish Amateur Boxing
Association Annual Awards Dinner at the Green Isle Hotel in
Dublin on Saturday night. As boxing is currently Ireland’s most
successful sport, it was a great boost for women's boxing for
Taylor to beat off the challenge of the country’s top male
fighters such as Joe Ward , Paddy Barnes, Kenny Egan and Darren
O’Neill.
For the A.I.B.A World Female Boxer of the Year it was a fitting
reward in the IABA’s 100tth year and it completed a great year
for the Bray native who only last week was chosen as the WBAN
Amateur Boxer of the Year award, for the fifth time in six
years.
Next up she hopes to achieve her lifelong ambition in 2012 –
namely an Olympic Gold in London later this summer. Of course as
she rightly says, she has not yet qualified for the Olympics and
even if she does she will face her toughest challenge with
champions from the 57kg and 64kg divisions also seeking to win a
coveted first Olympic Gold.
With the only (female) Olympic qualifying event, the World
Championships in China next May in mind ,Team Taylor has
arranged three bouts on successive nights at the Royal Hotel in
Bray on February 24,25,26 when she takes on Sandra Brugger of
Switzerland, Cindy Orain of France and Ingrid Egner of Norway as
part of her preparation for China. These are three of the
leading European boxers, who will also be in the Olympic
qualifying so this will be valuable preparation for when she
meets such as Queen Underwood, Cheng Dong, Sofya Ochigava,
Natasha Jonas and Gulsum Tatar in China ,and possibly later in
London.
At the IABA awards dinner, Taylor was also one of six boxers to
receive ‘Elite International Achievers Awards’ , along with Joe
Ward, Ray Moylette, John Joe Nevin, Darren O'Neill and Michael
Conlan.
For once Taylor was not the only woman to receive an award as
Katie Rowland, Michaela Walsh and Austeja Acuieta were back on
top of the podium after winning three bronze medals at the 1st
AIBA World Women's Youth and Junior Championships last year.
So too another Bray club member, Laoise Traynor, and Paulstown’s
Lauragh O’Neill, who won bronze in the European Union event.
Katie Taylor's dad and coach Peter said: "Katie is absolutely
delighted with the award. The previous twelve months were a big
year for Irish boxing and 2012 will be crucial with the Olympic
qualifiers for men and women and the Olympic Games just around
the corner."
IABA ANNUAL AWARDS, GREEN ISLE HOTEL, DUBLIN : JANUARY 14TH
Best boxer (Male or Female)
Katie Taylor (Bray)
Elite International Achievers:
Joe Ward (Moate)
Ray Moylette (St Anne's)
John Joe Nevin (Cavan)
Darren O'Neill (Paulstown)
Michael Conlan (St John Bosco)
Katie Taylor (Bray)
Individual Awards
Elite: Ross Hickey (Grangecon)
Intermediate: Christy Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
Youth: Michael O'Reilly (Portlaoise)
Junior: Dylan Carr (Ryston)
Schoolboy: Darren Pollock (St Agnes)
Best Club
Ryston BC
Coaches Award
The coaching staff at Ryston
Hall of Fame Boxer
Jim O'Sullivan
Best Referee & Judge:
Ferdie Whelan (Loughrea)
Special Award:
Michael Gallagher (Tyrone)
Special Award for Services to Boxing
Dominic Kiernan (Wexford CBS)
Special Award for Outstanding Services to Boxing
Dominic O'Rourke
High Performance Award
Billy Walsh
Friendship Award
Gerry Callan
Administration Award
Joe Hennigan
Youth Team Awards
Michael O'Reilly (Portlaoise)
Joe Fitzpatrick (Immaculata)
Stephen Broadhurst (Dealgan)
Jack Morrissey (Sacre Coeur)
Women's Youth & Junior World Championships Team Award
Katie Rowland (Geesala)
Michaela Walsh (Holy Family)
Austeja Acuieta (Finn Valley)
European Union medallists:
Laoise Traynor (Bray)
Lauragh O'Neill (Paulstown).
European Junior Championships Team Award
Luke Thomas (Watergrasshill)
John Nevin (Cavan)
Martin Conroy (Ballyhaunis)
European Schoolboy Championships Team Awards
John Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
James Cleary (Olympic)
Tiernan Bradley (Sacred Heart)
Craig Bonney (Trinity Boys)
Lewis Crocker (Cairn Lodge)
Sean Conroy (Ballyhaunis)
Keelan Sexton (West Clare)
Matthew Burke (Ballinrobe)
