Egan's Olympic dream may require move to heavyweight

BOXING:OLYMPIC SILVER medallist Ken Egan may have to move to a higher weight division if his dream of chasing a second podium finish in London 2012 is to become a reality. The Dubliner was beaten in this year's Irish Senior Championship light heavyweight final by 19-year-old Joe Ward, who takes his place on the 10-man Irish team for next week's European Championships in Turkey, while Egan stays at home.

Southpaw Ward, an outstanding talent, is the 2010 World Youth Champion and could win a medal in Ankara in the 81kg category, which would likely put him in the Irish team for the World Championships later this year.

The World Championships are an Olympic Games qualification tournament.

If that happens Egan could be forced to go into a weight division 10 kilograms heavier than the weight at which he won Olympic silver. Con Sheehan, the talented 22-year-old from Clonmel is current Irish title holder at 91kg and is also in the travelling team for next week’s event.

“There is an option for Kenny to move up a weight,” said chief coach Billy Walsh. “Yeah, it’s 10 kilos but he boxed in WSB (World Series of Boxing) at 86 kilos so it’s not that big of a jump, so we’ll see progress on that. But first we’ll see how the European Championships go.

“Kenny is a role model in the team. He’s constantly delivered for us over the last 10 years on the international scene. If Joe does the business . . . we’re talking about box-offs in August. First we want to take in these Euro Championships to see how Joe performs.

“Joe got the chance now because he took Kenny’s crown and he deserves the chance. He went to one tournament (World Youth Championships) and he won the gold medal. He was sick for the second one but he hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Walsh believes this Irish team can match or beat the five medal haul from last year in Moscow and pointed out that three of those medal winners did not make the team that travels today. Light flyweight and European champion at 49kg Paddy Barnes and middleweight Darren O’Neill, the European silver medallist, are the two Moscow medal winners going to Turkey.

“We’ve got to that position now where in most weights we’ve three or four guys,” added Walsh. “We have Olympic medallists sitting at home. We’ve three European medallists from last year that didn’t make the team. Can’t make it. It’s a good position to be in. That wasn’t the position when we started eight years ago.”

There has been a tendency to use box-offs more frequently now for national team selection rather than the Irish senior title holder going straight into the national team as has been the tradition. Recently there was some controversy when welterweight Dubliner, Karl Brabazon, who lost in the national senior final, was not invited to take part in a box-off, while those he beat to get there were included. Still, Irish boxing has had stunning success.

“We will go here and work on the mantra we have always used,” said Walsh. “That’s one fight, one punch, one minute all of the time. We finished in second spot last time and we’d like to go one place further this year.”

49kg (light flyweight): Paddy Barnes (Holy Family, Belfast); 52kg (flyweight): Michael Conlon (St John Bosco, Belfast); 56kg (bantamweight): John Joe Nevin (Cavan BC); 60kg (lightweight): Michael McDonagh (St Mary’s, Dublin); 64kg (light welterweight): Ray Moylette (St Anne’s, Westport); 69kg (welterweight): Willie McLaughlin (Illies Golden Gloves, Donegal); 75kg (middleweight): Darren O’Neil (Paulstown BC, Kilkenny); 81kg (light heavyweight): Joe Ward (Moate BC, Westmeath); 91kg (heavyweight): Con Sheehan (Clonmel BC0; 91+kg (super heavyweight: Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity, Belfast)