FOUR Irish boxers will compete in the World Junior Championships in Havana from November 3rd to 10th with the former Irish amateur European professional champion, Charlie Nash, travelling as coach.
Nash's son, also Charlie, from the Ring club in Derry, is in the team and competes in the flyweight division.
The others are Aodh Carlysle from the Sacred Heart club in Dublin at featherweight, Michael Dillon from Golden Cobra in Dublin at lightweight and Alo Kelly from Brosna in Offaly at middleweight.
Meanwhile, the Irish team for the first international of the season against Sweden in the National Stadium will be selected at the standing committee of the IABA next Saturday.
Sweden have indicated that they will be sending 11 boxers from flyweight to super heavy. They, however, do not have a light heavyweight of sufficient experience or class for this standard of boxing.
The Irish team will he selected with a view to identifying boxers with the potential to represent Ireland at the next Olympic Games in Sydney in the year 2000.
The meeting is also expected to be told of any progress which has been made in regard to the ongoing problems surrounding the situation of the trustees of the association and controversy over the management and operation of the Ringside Club at the rear of the boxing arena itself.
Progress is also expected to be reported on the problems surrounding an investigation into to the affairs of the association in general, including the use of the new gymnasium which has also been built towards the back of the site on South Circular Road.
Reports suggest that this is a very impressive development which will add significantly to the indoor facilities available for training and development in sports in Dublin not only in boxing but also in many other disciplines - a development which, in turn, could also bring financial benefits to boxing.
On the professional front huge interest in the return world championship super middleweight title bout between Steve Collins and Nigel Benn is growing in Dublin.
The bout takes place at the 20,000 capacity Nynex Centre in Manchester on Saturday, November 9th, and several hundred Collins supporters are expected to travel from Dublin for the fight. A number of charter flights have already been arranged.
Collins stopped Benn at the same venue just about three months ago and another victory on this occasion would surely line him us for a huge pay-day against either the American WBA champion Frank Liles or the WBC champion from Britain, Robin Reid.
The fight will share top billing with two other world title fights on the bill. "Prince" Naseem Hamed from Sheffield defends his featherweight title for the fourth time against Remigio Molina from Argentine, while the light middleweight world champion, Ronald "Winky" Wright from Florida defends against Ensley Bingham from Manchester.
Subsequent to the triple bill in Manchester, there will be another triple bill in Las Vegas featuring Mike Tyson against Evander Holyfield, Michael Moorer against Francis Botha of South Africa and Henry Akinwande from Britain against Alexandre Zolkin from Russia - all holding different versions of the world heavyweight title.
All six bouts will be shown on television.
