Conlan Family honoured in Stormount

By IABA Press Officer Bernard O’Neill

The Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Caral Ni Chuilin hosted a reception to honour Michael Conlan and his family and friends in Stormont, Belfast today.

IABA CEO and CEO Pat Ryan and Fergal Carruth attended the reception.

Conlan, pictured above with Brian Henning, Chair of the Sport NI, became the first Irish male boxer to claim AIBA World Elite gold in Doha, Qatar this year.

Combined with the European Elite gold he also claimed in 2015, the top of the podium finish on the Arabian Peninsula lifted the London 2012 bronze medallist to No. 1 in the World in the AIBA Elite bantamweight rankings.

Conlan, with his dad John working his corner in the World Series of Boxing (WSB), also qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympics through the WSB and AOB this year. The World Elite champion, as per rule, must take the Olympic place he earned through AOB in Doha.