THE Irish Amateur Boxing Association was yesterday urged not to support the re-election of the outgoing president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Pat Hickey, because of the problems which arose during the Atlanta Games. The IABA will have three votes in the election, which takes place early next month.
Dr Martin Purcell, the Universities member of the Central Council of the IABA, made the suggestion at a meeting of the Council which followed the association's agm in the National Stadium yesterday.
The IABA delegates will be the president, Nicky White, the vice president Breandan O Conaire and the secretary, Joe Kirwan. A decision on how they will vote will be made at a meeting of the standing committee of the IABA next Saturday.
The standing committee, which is elected by postal ballot, shows only one change from the previous committee. Dominic O'Rourke, the vice president of the Leinster Council, has been elected in place of Eugene Duffy, who did not stand.
The members elected were Austin Carruth (214 votes), Christy McKenna (210), Tom Fox (208), Harry Doherty (203), Gerry Storey (199), John Mahon (157) and Dominic O'Rourke (147).
Outgoing registrar Tommy Murphy was re-elected by 175 votes, to 70 for George Peters in the only election for the officers panel.
After much debate on computerised scoring, a motion from the Holy Trinity boxing club in Belfast that there be eight judges - four for each boxer - was accepted, but in a watered-down form.
The motion was put by Harry Hawkins, who agreed not to force the issue provided that the Central Council put a pilot scheme into operation to test the idea with six judges - three for each boxer - during the season.