Time is running out for Ireland's boxing hopefuls in their quest for places in the Sydney Olympics.

Boxing has been Ireland's most fruitful Olympic sport down the years but, as things stand, the chances are that Irish boxing might not be represented at Sydney in September.

In recent years a number of new regulations have been introduced, including a series of qualifying tournaments to reduce the numbers competing to 32 in each weight category.

With the break-up of the Soviet Union and events in what was formerly Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the quest for places is ever increasing. More African and Asian countries are also competing than was formerly the case. The three tournaments left which, hopefully, may lead to Irish boxers making the last 32 are scheduled for Halle in Germany, Liverpool in England and Venice in Italy. All three tournaments take place between March 6th and April 2nd, and the Irish Amateur Boxing Association is hopeful that the national champions will get an opportunity to qualify for Sydney. However, with a limited number of places available, Irish representatives will be hard pressed to make he grade.

With this in mind the finals of the National Championships take on a more important aspect than ever this year. The championships get under way with the preliminaries tomorrow and Saturday at the National Stadium. The semi-finals are fixed for January 21st and 22nd with the finals scheduled for January 28th. The European championships, meanwhile, take place in Tampera in Finland from May 13th to 21st, but they do not count, as they did previously, as qualification for the Olympics. Two international matches are also scheduled for the next months. Hungary will box at the National Stadium on April 14th and Poland are also expected to visit, although no date has been decided.

Michael Grant, the American boxer who is undefeated in his last 31 fights, has emerged as favourite to take on Britain's Lennox Lewis for his undisputed heavyweight crown.

Grant's name was put forward for a projected April 29th title defence in Madison Square Garden, New York, yesterday by Donald Tremblay, representing Main Events, the company that promotes Lewis in the US.

Grant is set to pick up around $4 million with Lewis earning three times that sum.