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Boxing Grabs the Sporting Headlines
A reception to congratulate the boxing competitors who took part in the commonwealth championships in July was held at Stormont on Wednesday 12 December.
Approximately 100 boxers took part in this championship from countries as far away as Australia, India and Tanzania. For Northern Ireland’s home grown talent to compete on such a global scale is a real achievement.
Minister Edwin Poots congratulated Paddy Barnes and Eamon O’Kane who both won gold medals at the event. “It is a further accolade for Paddy Barnes as the only Irish boxer to qualify for the Beijing Olympics, after he reached the last eight at the recent World Championships.”
The Minister also paid tribute to Northern Ireland’s boxing talent past and present such as Barry McGuigan, Wayne McCullough, Dave Boy McAuley and more recently John Duddy. He said: “These sportsmen provide inspiration for all young people wishing to take up the sport. I believe that we will see further talent emerging from Northern Ireland who will provide encouragement for more generations to come.”
Vice-Chairman for of Sport Northern Ireland, Gerry Carson, commented: “Boxing has a rich sporting heritage, one of which we are all extremely proud. We in Sport Northern Ireland, in partnership with boxing, are confident that we can increase participation in the sport and encourage more success on the scale that was present at Stormont.”
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