The Wexford county board of the IABA has expressed its "outrage" that Tokyo bronze medallist Aidan Walsh has been selected ahead of national champion Dean Walsh for the upcoming Olympic qualifier in Italy.
An eight-strong team for the tournament in Italy was named on Monday with Aidan Walsh chosen in the 71kg category. In a strongly worded letter to the IABA, dated last week and signed by Wexford secretary Dominic Robinson, it's said that it "seems to us that Dean is being discriminated against by the high performance set up".
Dean Walsh - nephew of USA boxing coach Billy Walsh - won the 2024 national elite title in November by defeating Eugene McKeever in the light middleweight final. He had beaten Aidan Walsh at the semi-final stage of the 2023 national championships 12 months ago.
20 January 2023; Dean Walsh of St Ibars/St Josephs Boxing Club, Wexford, left, celebrates after victory over Aidan Walsh of Emerald ABC, Belfast, in their light middleweight 71kg semi-final bout at the IABA National Elite Boxing Championships semi-finals at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
"Dean Walsh has already beaten Aidan Walsh during their last encounter at last year's Elite championships, at the semi-final stage, and Aidan Walsh didn't even compete in our National Elite Championships this year," reads the letter.
"The more cynical amongst us might now propose that this was strategic so as to avoid having to meet Dean Walsh again in open competition. The rightful place for our very experienced current National Champion is as the number one choice."
Aidan Walsh won a surprise bronze medal for Ireland at welterweight in Tokyo. The Belfast boxer was forced to withdraw from his semi-final against Great Britain's Pat McCormack due to an ankle injury sustained in the ring while celebrating his quarter-final victory. He has been out injured since suffering another injury nearly a year ago.
The letter adds that "no blame can be attached to Aidan Walsh who is a very good boxer and no doubt a person of fine character" but also that the Wexford county board finds the selection "totally unacceptable and intend to do our utmost to highlight and persuade the powers that be to reverse this injustice".
3 August 2021; Bronze medalist Aidan Walsh of Ireland with his sister Michaela Walsh after the men's welterweight division medal ceremony at the Kokugikan Arena during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Five Irish boxers, including Tokyo gold medallist Kellie Harrington, Olympians Aoife O'Rourke and Michaela Walsh (sister of Aidan), along with Jack Marley and Dean Clancy have already qualified for this summer's Olympics in Paris via last year's European Games.
Four quota places will be available in each weight category that Irish boxers contest at the qualifier in Italy, which gets underway on March 4th. A victory in a quarter-final will secure a spot in Paris. The IABA has set a target of qualifying at least eight boxers for the Games.
Along with Aidan Walsh, the team includes Daina Moorehouse (50kg), Jennifer Lehane (54kg), Grainne Walsh (66kg) Sean Mari (51kg), Jude Gallagher (57kg), Kelyn Cassidy (80kg), and Martin McDonagh (92+kg).
"After a testing six-month evaluation process these eight athletes have thoroughly earned selection for the first world Olympic qualifying tournament," said IABA high performance director Tricia Heberle.
For any boxers who do not qualify in Italy, a second Olympic qualifier is being held this May in Bangkok.
Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O'Rourke are two other notable absentees from the team for Italy. Grainne Walsh has been selected in the 66kg category ahead of the two former world champions.
Broadhurst, O'Rourke and Dean Walsh have been named in the 14-strong Irish team for the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria next month. The team features a mix of those already qualified for the Olympics and those hoping to get their chance in May's second qualifying competition.
