Boycott U-turn – IABA to send a team to World Youth Championships
Ireland look set to have representation at the World Youth Championships in Spain next month after an IABA boycott u-turn.
The Irish Youth Team where told mid-training on Saturday, that a team wouldn’t be sent to La Nucia to box in a tournament set to play out between the 15th and 26th of November.
The young fighters were informed the IABA had decided to boycott as a result of Russian and Belarus boxers being permitted to compete in the continental tournament.
Earlier this month the IBA president indicated that Russian and Belarusian boxers would be allowed return to international competition with immediate effect – and the IABA were to object in boycott form.
However, it today emerged that the Spanish government have banned Russian and Belarus athletes from competing on Spanish soil.
The decision paves the way for nations affiliated with the Common Cause Alliance, of which Ireland is one, to compete.
It’s now believed the IABA will send a team and the Youth Irish champions who have been training all summer for the prestigious tournament will be considered for selection.
There remain concerns about the size of the team to be sent. Just over a week ago and before any boycott talk the fighters were informed that finances would only allow for a limited number of boxers to be sent to Alicante.
Finance was also quoted as an issue ahead of the European Schools games but a full team was eventually sent and 14 medals were secured.
The Team that represented Ireland at the European Youth Championships in Sofia earlier this year won 3 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze.
Georgia McGovern, Patsy Joyce, Katie O’Keefe, Winnie McDonagh, Laura Moran, Bobbi Flood, Dearbhla Tinnelly, and Cliona Darcy all won medals at that tournament and there were hopes of an equal if not increased medal haul in Spain.
Irish teams have won an impressive 50 medals from major international tournaments since the turn of the year with the European Junior team enjoying the most recent success. The under-16 select won four bronze, four silver and two gold in Italy last week.
