A former Golden Gloves champion, who has lived in the United States since the age of four, is an unexpected entrant in the National Championships which begin at the National Stadium tomorrow night. He is Gerry Liam Grealish, a light middleweight, born in Rosmuc in Galway, who went to the US with his parents in 1983 and who later served in the US Marines.

He is one of 79 entries for the championships. In some divisions, particularly in the lighter weights, the entries are disappointing with only three in each of the light-fly and flyweight categories and only four in bantamweight and five at featherweight.

Entries in some other categories are more encouraging with 10 at welter, light middle and heavy, nine at light-welter, eight at middle and seven at lightweight and light-heavy.

Ten boxers are defending their titles. They are Liam Cunningham (flyweight), Damien McKenna (bantam), Bernard Dunne (feather), Aodh Carlyle (light), Sean Barrett (light-welter), Neil Gough (welter), Michael Roche (light-midldle), Alan Reynolds (light-heavy), Stephen Reynolds (heavy) and John Kinsella (superheavy).

Much attention will centre on the light-welter bout involving Cork's Sean Barrett and Galway's Francie Barrett. It will remembered that last year there was considerable controversy when a computer break-down forced the IABA to order a re-match between the two in the final before the Corkman won.

At featherweight, Bernard Dunne will have his eye on the Olympic Games if he can manage to get through one of the remaining qualifying tournaments.