Darren dazzles and fans fancy a golden haul

NOT UNTIL 60 seconds were left on the clock did the nervous silence become celebratory screaming at Joxer Daly's pub on Dorset Street in Dublin city centre yesterday afternoon.

Betting slips were gleefully waved in the air (but held tightly) and over a dozen youth members of St Saviour's Amateur Boxing Club sang "Olé Olé Olé" and waved Tricolours as 26-year-old club member Darren "The Dazzler" Sutherland's 10-point win over Alfonso Blanco Parro guaranteed him a medal in the Olympic Games.

"You saw the way he destroyed that guy," said Gerry Moore, who placed an 8/1 bet on Sutherland to win a medal many weeks ago.

"These fighters have a big impact on the youth of the area and if they do well everything follows on from there," said Jim O'Connor, spokesman for St Saviour's.

"It is great for the inner city area, great for people coming up off the street to do this," said Christy Andrews, whose son boxes at the club.

Sutherland was beaten by Blanco at the World Championships in Chicago last October, so to win with such ease pleased his supporters.

"He underperformed in Chicago, but that is the Darren we know," said club secretary Thomas Ahern, after the fight.

"He is a changed boxer, completely changed, his psyche is turned right around," said John Brown, club president and owner of Joxer Daly's.

At his parents' home in Navan, Co Meath, a crowd of the Olympic medallist's family and friends gathered to watch the fight.

"We're so proud of you. Love you loads," Linda Sutherland said as she spoke to her son over the airwaves on Lunchtime with Eamon Keane on Newstalk shortly after the fight.

"I'll come home with something which is brilliant. I didn't want to come home empty-handed," Sutherland told his mother.

"No and you won't. I love you loads," Ms Sutherland replied.

"Oh it's amazing, can you believe it?" the middleweight boxer said to his father Tony Sutherland, who is originally from the Caribbean.

There was also delight at Dublin City University where staff joined students in the canteen to watch Sutherland, who has just finished his second year of a sports science and health degree.

Sutherland, who left school at 16 and returned to school aged 20 to complete his Leaving Cert, is "a high achiever and a perfectionist", according to Prof Niall Moynahan of DCU.

"I interviewed Darren for the course five years ago and said if he boxed half as well as he talked he would be a world-class boxer. He has not let me down," Prof Moynahan said.

After breezing to a win, his supporters are confident the young boxer can bring back a gold medal. "The way he fought there I have no problem saying he will win the gold. After Chicago he could have given it up, but he's turned it around," Mr Browne said.

Former Irish boxer Christy Elliott who fought as a light-middleweight at the Munich Olympics in 1972 was also supporting Sutherland at Joxer Daly's yesterday. "The fight was fantastic all the way through to the last round. I think he will get the gold. I think the world stage is made for him," he said.

"He won't want to sell himself short, it is up to the others to beat him, he is a man on a mission," Tony Ahern said, promising: "If he wins gold I'd kiss the face off him.

"We think Darren is good enough to do it," Mr O'Connor said confidently. "A medal will definitely go to his head and there is nothing wrong with that."

There were also dozens of messages of congratulations posted on Sutherland's Bebo web page yesterday. "I won my fight!! I'm now guaranteed at least a bronze medal. So happy!!" Darren "the Dazzler" - as the boxer styles himself - Sutherland posted shortly after his win.