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AIBA to address “multiple issues” with Irish boxers that “tarnished the reputation of boxing”

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) will have plenty to say when they come to Dublin on January 18th to meet with Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Patrick O’Donovan.

The Fine Gael TD requested the meeting with AIBA chief Dr Ching-Kuo Wu to discuss, among other things, Mick Conlan’s controversial Olympic quarter final loss to Vladimir Nikitin.

However, the AIBA have confirmed that they will use the meeting to address numerous issues that surrounded the Irish boxing team’s admittedly disastrous Olympic Games.

These issues are sure to include Conlan’s impassioned critique of the AIBA following the dubious defeat to Nikitin, the subsequent findings that Conlan and Steven Donnelly had placed small bets on bouts at the Games, and the failed drug test of Michael O’Reilly.

AIBA Communications Director Nicolas Jomard told InsideTheGames.biz that “we received a request for a meeting from Sport Ireland and have accepted the invitation in order to address the current negative narrative surrounding multiple issues with Team Ireland boxers in Rio 2016 which have tarnished the reputation of boxing as a whole locally.”

In addition to these issues, the organisation also plan to discuss the IABA ‘Boxing Clever’ Strategic Plan for the Tokyo Olympic cycle. Jornard continued by saying “we will also be discussing the alignment of our actions with the 2017-2020 strategic plan the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) has provided to AIBA as well as pursuing discussions around the possibility of integrating an Irish team into World Series of Boxing season eight.”

Joe O’Neill and Gavan Casey look ahead to 2017 in episode 1 of The Irish Boxing Show

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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