Ireland has already secured three places for its amateur boxers in London 2012 thanks to the excellent performances of Michael Conlan, Darren O’Neill and John Joe Nevin at the 2011 World Championships in Baku but with a final European Olympic Qualifyer set for Turkey in April followed by the only Women’s qualifying event – the World Championships in China in May – the country’s fighters, fans and the IABA look forward with hope and not a little confidence to having several more representatives at the Excel Centre in August.
The IABA in fact is targeting some seven qualifying places from Turkey and three women from China though realistically to get another four maybe even five through would be brilliant. In 2012 despite the emergence of some fine athletes and sailors, it remains likely that boxing will once again be at the forefront in our quest for Olympic medals.