'Just let the kid box' - IABA's boycott of Russian and Belarusian boxers under fire

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association is coming under pressure to reverse its boycott of Russian boxers and allow Mullingar youngster John Donoghue to fight for a medal at the Junior World Championships on Thursday.

After winning two fights in Armenia, the 15-year-old is set to face Russian Zakhar Bespalov in the light-welterweight quarter-finals, but the IABA's policy is that their boxers must sign a declaration to withdraw if pitted against Russian or Belarusian opponents.

Dunboyne fighter Tegan Farrelly had to give a walkover in Yerevan yesterday without throwing a punch, while last month three boxers pulled out of the Under-22 European Championships in Montenegro on the same grounds. Bronze medallist Evelyn Igharo missed out the chance to contest her semi-final while team captain Kian Hedderman was forced to withdraw in the first round and Gavin Rafferty in the second.

Several other members of the 11-strong Irish Junior team remain in competition and could face the same fate as Donoghue.

Ireland boycotted the senior men’s and women’s World Championships this year after international amateur governing body the IBA, chaired by Russian Umar Kremlev, allowed Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete under their countries’ flags despite the invasion of Ukraine.

The IABA has now returned to underage competitions but is the only participating country to have a policy of not facing boxers from the two nations. The governments of Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, South Korea, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain have all also signed the 'collective Ministerial statement on Russia's war on Ukraine and international sport’ but their federations’ fighters are competing at the World Juniors