THE DOOR is still open for Cuba to compete in the World Senior Boxing Championships in Chicago next month, according to world amateur boxing chiefs at the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA).
However, the AIBA still cannot confirm or completely rule out the Caribbean country’s participation in the tournament, which will act as a qualifier for the 2008 Olympics.
The 2007 World Champion-ships, which glove off at the University of Illinois on 23 October, have attracted 115 nations, including Ireland – making it the biggest event in world amateur boxing history.
The Cuban Boxing Federation (CBF) missed the 17 August deadline for registration for the championships, but dialogue between the AIBA and Cuba is still continuing.
Cuban President Fidel Castro threatened to pull his country out of the World Champion-ships after two boxers defected from the recent Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Guillermo Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic bantamweight champion, and Erislandy Lara, a welterweight world champion, did a runner in Rio but have since returned to Cuba and are insisting that they never intended to defect. But a German promoter claims they both signed five-year contracts as professionals, and the German Embassy in Brazil claims the pair sought visas.
The CBF has dominated the World Championships since 1974, claiming 59 gold medals – which is more than the gold medal haul of Russia and the USA combined. But if Cuba opts not to compete at this year’s World Championships, they will still have two opportunities to secure Olympic qualification from tournaments in the Americas early in the New Year.
The World Championships will act as the first qualifier for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. There will be two final Olympic qualifiers for European boxers in Italy (Pescara) and Greece (Athens) early next year.
Meanwhile, middleweight Darren Sutherland took no further part in sparring sessions at the Irish squad’s recent training camp in France after sustaining a facial injury.
Sutherland, ranked in the top 10 in the World and Europe, picked up a slight cut under his left eye after dropping a French opponent in a sparring session at the Irish squad’s training camp in the Blue Fontaine military base, 60 miles outside Paris.
The reigning Irish 75kg champion, from the St Saviour’s Olympic Boxing Academy (OBA) club in Dublin, will be involved in non-contact training from here on in, according to Gary Keegan, who directs the Irish Amateur Boxing Association’s (IABA) High Performance Unit.
The Irish squad, under coaches Billy Walsh and Zuar Antia, put in an extra 30 seconds per round in sparring sessions with the French and bouts were effectively lasting five rounds. An amateur contest lasts four two-minute rounds.
The Irish squad will take part in one final training camp in Frankfurt, Germany early next month before departing for Chicago on 16 October.
While the 13-man Irish squad has just returned from the training camp in France, Carl Frampton and Darren O’Neill will leave the squad for a Multi Nations tournament on 12 October. The remaining 11 members of the Irish squad will then compete at the World Championships.
Larry Morrison of the IABA was full of praise for the Irish A team, despite an 8–1 defeat to a USA selection in New York City last Saturday.
Featherweight Kevin Fennessey, from the Clonmel club in Tipperary, was the only Irish boxer to record a victory, following his win over Joe Arboyd at a packed Christ the King High School.
Despite the margin of defeat, there was a lot of positives the Irish squad can take from the tournament, not least of which was Dave Conlon’s Boxer of the Tournament award, following his thrilling middleweight clash with Ray Rodriquez.
Shane Cox can also be proud of his efforts in front of nearly 2,000 vociferous fight fans – as can Mike Mullaney, Fergal Redmond and Willie Casey.
Speaking from New York, Morrison – who was working as a liaison officer with the Irish squad in the Big Apple – commented that they may look for a re-match in Belfast next year.
“The Irish squad performed magnificently and some of the contests were extremely close and could have gone either way,” he said. “We were very pleased with our performances against and this tournament will give the Irish squad vital international experience.
“We could have a re-match in Belfast next year which we would look forward to, as it would give us the opportunity to try and reverse last night’s result.”
“I would like to thank the organisers for their hospitality throughout the weekend. It was a fantastic tournament with some very exciting contests.”
Irish World Championships Squad:
48kg: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family GG)
51kg: Conor Ahern (Baldoyle)
54kg: Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata)
57kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
60kg: Eric Donovan (St Michael’s Athy)
64kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
69kg: Roy Sheahan (St Michael’s Athy)
75kg: Darren Sutherland (St Saviour’s OBA)
81kg: Ken Egan (Neilstown)
91kg: John Sweeney (Dungloe)
91+kg: Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity)
Irish Multi Nations Squad:
57kg: Carl Frampton (Midlands White City)
75kg: Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)
