BOXING:DOMINIC O'ROURKE, Irish amateur boxing's high performance director, has justified the decision of central council to schedule a 'box-off' between Ray Moylette and Ross Hickey on September 2nd at the National Stadium.
The winner will represent Ireland at light welterweight (65kg) at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan on September 26th. The competition also doubles up as the penultimate Olympic qualifying event.
Speaking to The Irish Times, O’Rourke explained the strange situation of having the light welterweight European champion, Moylette, having to overcome the national champion, Hickey, to take his seeded position at the worlds.
“It was decided by the board that they couldn’t separate who was the best boxer so it was back to the ring to sort it out,” said O’Rourke.
“Ray was injured prior to (the recent Irish qualifiers) and Ross was unavailable due to work commitments for the European Championships. Ross is the senior champion, Ray the European champion. Central Council felt they couldn’t separate them.
“Selection is done on the recommendation of the high performance coach Billy Walsh and then a vote – A or B to go. That one in particular wasn’t upheld because it was felt it should be decided in the ring.”
Walsh and his boxers, including Moylette and Hickey, are currently at a training camp in Italy, along with Katie Taylor, and were unavailable for comment yesterday.
O’Rourke contested the theory that there are obvious flaws in the current selection process.
“We have always wanted to be like the Russians and the Cubans and have the depth to be able to send two or three in each weight category to the World Championships and qualify for the Olympics.
“The system as it is now has thrown up a lot of top-class boxers and we’ve developed all the weights so whoever goes is expected to win medals. It means there are hard decisions that need to be made. It’s a good problem to have.”
There had been a concern that four other genuine medal prospects for next year’s Olympic Games in London would also be denied a chance at qualification. However, light heavyweight champion Joe Ward, light flyweight Paddy Barnes, middleweight Darren O’Neill and bantamweight John Joe Nevin were selected despite also missing out on the recent unseeded elite championships at the National Stadium due to injury. Medical certificates were provided in all cases and all four boxers will be competing in Baku.
Willie McLaughlin, Tyrone McCullagh, Adam Nolan and Jason Quigley are the quartet to miss out.
The shadow panel of boxers is, according to O’Rourke, to remain in Italy at training camp.
Qualification for London 2012 can be achieved next month by reaching the World Championship quarter-finals or being beaten by the gold or silver medallist in the last 16. The exception is at heavyweight, where Beijing silver medallist Kenny Egan has moved up to, and super heavyweight where the minimum requirement is defeat by a finalist in the quarter-final.
The last chance for Olympic qualification takes place in April, probably in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, Michael O’Reilly has been selected in the 69 kg welterweight category for this week’s European Youth Championships that are being held in Dublin.
O’Reilly (18) brought High Court proceedings arising from a decision to deselect him from the Irish panel following an alleged breach of discipline at a training camp.
The boxer also asked the court to order a box-off between him and Christy Joyce for the right to represent Ireland. Mr Justice John Cooke would not order a box-off but the decision to drop O’Reilly had to be disregarded by central council.
The IABA opposed the application but last Saturday they selected O’Reilly over Joyce.
“The other guy (Joyce) was also there on merit and was available for a box-off but when you go into the court system someone has to lose out,” said O’Rourke yesterday. “A boy who has done nothing wrong has lost out here.
“I’m not disappointed; they are two top-class young lads. We have to select somebody and central council decided it would be O’Reilly.”
