THE LONG TERM DANGER TO BOXING BY AMATEUR POINTS SCORING SYSTEM IMPOSED BY 'AMATEUR' OFFICIALS
SEVEN YEARS AGO IRISH HEAD COACH BILLY WALSH DECIDED THE TIME HAD COME TO TRANSFORM THE MANNER IN WHICH IRISH AMATEUR BOXERS WERE CONDITIONED AND COACHED MENTALLY.
“We decided to take away all the excuses of Irish boxers as to why they couldn't succeed at the highest level,” said Coach Walsh.
“We did that and gradually we have seen the change and now we are one of the most feared nations in world boxing.
“It used to be we went in to championships hoping for a good draw but now the other countries are hoping they don't face an Irish boxer. This has been a phenomenal achievement to bring homefive medals and to be second in the medal table behind Russia.”
Credit is due to Coach Walsh and former High Performance Director Gary Keegan but the secret weapon in the Irish boxing surge of success is Zaur Antia of Georgia; amateur boxing technician Zaur has played a vital role.
His expertise in installing within the minds and coaching of Irish boxers the way to exploit the ludicrous amateur boxing point scoring system of using the hand opeartedred and blue buttons on a calculator and which isolates amateur boxing contests to being decided solely upon the the number of punches scored and ignores the the valuable other high skills that makes boxing the sport that has survived over centuries.
Irish Gold Medal winner Paddy Barnes, a natural fighter, had to be groomed into an effective boxer at chamlpionship level and the evidence was there for the 14,000 crowd to apprceiate in Moscow's Ice Palace last Saturday afternoon when he triumphed 4-1 over Azerbaijan's Elvin Mamishzade thus, becoming the first Irishman in 19 years to win European gold.
“Paddy stuck to the gameplan. His defence was fantastic. It was a world class performance,” said Billy Walsh.
It is likely Irish Paddy will heed the call of the professional circuit and particularly if he has the title of 2012 Olympic champion.
Paddy said: “Some people might think that being European champion will put extra pressure on me going for London, but I don't see it that way. I've proved now that I can compete with the very best in the world.
“I proved it in Beijing and now I think I've proved it even more. Next year's World Championships in South Korea is the first of the qualifiers for the Olympics and that's my main target now. I knew going into the final that I had to stay close Mamishzade down, make sure not give him space to breathe, and I stuck to the game plan.
“I felt calm and in control all the way. He would come in and then move away and I would close him down and catch him. I could tell in the last round he was not really attacking and I was catching him with the shots. It was all about sticking to the tactics.”~
