IABA sign up for AIBA Heads UP

Pat Ryan, President of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA), today signed the HeadsUp!charter at the headquarters of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IABA President is in Lausanne with IABA CEO Fergal Carruth. Headsup! is a global program developed by AIBA to promote the values of boxing and the global AIBA family.

AIBA President, Dr CK WU, a special guest of the IABA at the 2011 European Youths Championships in Dublin, hailed Ireland’s contribution to the sport.

“The IABA operates in one of the world’s leading boxing nations and grassroots promotion of our sport is a crucial part of its success. We hope that the HeadsUp! programme will help develop even more boxing in Ireland and entice the young population to put on the gloves even more,” he said.

Pat Ryan is delighted to endorse the HeadsUp! charter.

He said: “As IABA President, I’m very satisfied to be able to bring our support to the AIBA HeadsUp! programme. We are already active in social activities and grassroots promotion of our sport with projects like The Start Box Initiative, a partnership between the IABA and Dublin City Council representing an ideal way to first engage with boxing through the communities of Dublin. 2,500 young people engage in StartBox each year and this is the very essence of HeadsUp, it’s a natural fit.”