(SEPT 18) Ireland’s eleven strong
team leave tonight for the Black Sea resort of Albena in North
Eastern Bulgaria and the 2013 AIBA World Youth and Junior
Championships, September 22nd/29th.
Five of the Irish squad are from
Mayo– Jacqui Lynch, Golden Gloves BC, Grainne Gavin, Castlebar
BC, Ciara Ginty ,Geesala BC, Lycia Henneghan ,Aiglish BC and
Ciara Sheedy,Swinford BC , a sign of the strength of women’s
boxing in the county.
The President of the Mayo Boxing Board Joe Hennigan says this is
but the beginning :
“This is a new era for Mayo Boxing and especially Female boxing
as never before in my 40-year history involved with boxing have
so many Mayo boxers being involved in the European and World
championships.
“Great credit must go to the club coaches and the Mayo Female
development squad which was set up last season and we are now
reaping the rewards from the dedicated and committed work of the
coaching team, “ he added.
Limerick’s highly experienced Anna Moore will be Irish team
manager in Albena whilst Belfast legend Gerry Storey, John
McCormack and Antoinette Just will be working Ireland’s corner.
Katie Taylor was with the Irish
team at the recent European Union championships in Hungary when
the combined Senior Elite, Youth and Juniors took 15 medals and
though the competition will be much tougher in Albena with
competitors such
as the U.S Olympic Gold medallist Claressa Shields taking part,
nonetheless Taylor has high hopes for the young Irish team in
this and future international competitions.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be a role model for these young
girls. Everything is set in place for them now. They have
everything to box for” said the Olympic and four times World
Champion in a recent Newstalk interview.
“It’ll be great to see these girls getting the funding they need
to train full time. They need that support so they can progress
and be the best they can be.”
“If you had asked me a couple of years ago what the future of
Irish women’s boxing was like, I wouldn’t have known what to
say. But seeing the
young girls coming up now, and seeing their attitude and their
focus, they were absolutely brilliant over there (in Hungary).
They’re the stars of the future. I’m really excited to see what
they’re going to do.”
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association though does need to heed
Katie’s words as repeated here : “It’ll be great to see these
girls getting the funding they need to train full time. They
need that support so they can progress and be the best they can
be.”
For many years in her own early days Taylor struggled to receive
adequate funding in Ireland and that simply cannot be allowed to
happen if this squad are to progress on the world stage and
achieve their full potential. The IABA must ensure that women’s
boxing and these young ladies plus those that follow receive the
same level of funding as the Male Elite,Youth,Junior and
Schoolboys. No more but no less. Admirable as it is that such as
Antoinette Faye recently organised a funding concert, Ignite the
light, at the National Stadium the IABA themselves must do more,
much more to support the women boxers too.
Katie Taylor is a “one off” but several of this team can follow
in her footsteps and achieve success and glory for themselves
and their country but before that can happen the IABA MUST do
more, MUCH MORE, to provide adequate funding.
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