NO PLANS TO REVIEW WALSH’S EXIT SAGA

THERE will be no independent review into the circumstances surrounding the departure of Billy Walsh from the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA). The ending of Walsh’s (below) involvement with the IABA became headline news last October, with Sport Ireland chief executive John Treacy claiming in the aftermath that his confidence in the Association had been shaken. During an appearance before an Oireachtas committee, IABA chairman Joe Christle suggested an independent review ‘might be one measure that could repair the resulting reputational damage to the IABA’. However, at the unveiling of the new high performance training centre at the Institute of Sport in Dublin yesterday, Treacy said both Sport Ireland and the IABA were keen to move on. ‘I think we’ve all moved on and dusted ourselves off and got on with it. That’s where we’re at,’ said Treacy, who claimed relations had improved between the parties. ‘We have had a number of liaison meetings with them and like everything else we’ve all dusted ourselves down and we’ve got on with our business. It’s business as normal with the IABA now. ‘Zaur Antia has stepped in and we will be giving him every support, and the Institute will be giving the IABA every support that they can as well over the next number of months.’ He also backed Antia to continue in the role of interim head coach of the IABA’s high performance unit, and intimated that a permanent appointment to the role would be made after the Olympics in Rio. Treacy also stated his confidence in the IABA has been restored. ‘You build confidence over time and you look into people’s eyes, and you either see sincerity or not, and we see sincerity in what they are saying to us.’ Gary Keegan, director of the Institute of Sport and once head of the IABA high performance unit, said the targeting of Walsh by the US women’s boxing team was a measure of the high standards of coaching in this country — and Keegan suggested other coaches will come to the attention of rival countries. ‘We cannot be overly dependent on key individuals,’ he claimed. ‘The boxing programme wasn’t overly dependent on me and I was very delighted about that and I know that Billy would be very delighted if the boxing programme evolved and increased on the success he delivered in terms of his legacy. ‘We can’t afford in Ireland to be losing great people but it’s a sign of where we’re at, where our coaches will be targeted by other programmes. ‘I can see a lot more coaches being targeted over the coming years. We’ll be talking about this story beyond Billy.’