Boxers floored by IABA axe

AMATEUR BOXING: Irish second row Malcolm O'Kelly and winger Anthony Horgan appear to have escaped lightly when they were disciplined by national coach Eddie O'Sullivan after sleeping in and arriving late for squad training last month.

The two players were left out for the subsequent Irish session, but are now back in harness.

Martin Lindsey and Martin Rogan, two amateur boxers and recently crowned Irish Senior Champions, are now wishing it could be so for them.

Both have been controversially dropped from the Irish Amateur Boxing Association's (IABA) squad for the European Championships next month in Croatia, an event which also acts as a qualifier for next summer's Olympic Games in Athens.

Two other qualification events in March and April are available to Irish boxers, but it was not known yesterday whether the pair, from Belfast's Immaculata Club, will be permitted to take part in those.

The decision by boxing's High Performance Committee is a ruthless one and revolves around Lindsey and Rogan's decision not to arrive for scheduled team training in Dublin on December 27th.

Their plan was to turn up on the Monday following Christmas (December 29th), one that resulted in immediate expulsion from the team.

Rogan, a super heavyweight and featherweight Lindsey, a silver medalist in last year's Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, are both new to the international scene and appear to have abysmally miscalculated the mood of the high performance coaches.

"Yes, they have been dropped from the team because they didn't turn up," said head coach Billy Walsh. "Both were informed of their commitments on the night of the senior finals.

"They both signed that they received the letters and a copy was sent to their coach and secretaries (club). Those letters also stated the cost of not turning up, so there is no doubt that they knew what was expected from them. They blatantly ignored it.

"It's not a nice thing to have to do and there is an element of regret, but everyone knew the consequences. It's very, very sad. They are two talented young lads. But if they wanted to live the dream they had to stay with the programme.

"They've shot themselves in the foot. Now, I don't know what's going to happen, whether they'll be picked for the other two events. That will be decided by the Officer Board (of the IABA)."

Gerry "Nugget" Nugent, coach of the Immaculata Club, based in West Belfast's Lower Falls Road, has thrown himself and his boxers at the mercy of the IABA.

"We were in the wrong," he said. "We didn't go up on the 27th. I was thinking that being Christmas week they wouldn't mind. We'd like them to reconsider. We broke the rules.

"It's as simple as that and I can see that they have to make a standard. But I thought the lads needed a rest after the senior finals on December 19th. It was my mistake. They have to have rules. But they're hard rules. I understand, but I think it was harsh."

Particularly so for Rogan, who, at 28, is in possession of his first ever senior title. Lindsey is five years younger.

This is not the first time individuals have been dropped from international squads. In 1980, Terry Christle was left out of the Moscow Olympics because he wanted to train at home with his own coach. Christle went on the have a successful professional career.

Of Ireland's collection of Olympic medals during the last 50 years, nine have come from boxing.