THE Irish Amateur Boxing, Association, already riven by internal feuds, now seems to be in danger of being drawn into a Welsh boxing controversy, with the IABA president, Nicky White from Wexford, in the eye of the storm.

It appears that strife within the Welsh Amateur Boxing, Association in recent months has brought about an open split within the organisation which has caused considerable bitterness and disaffection within that body.

The IABA has not been involved in any of this and sent an official Irish team to box against a Welsh team on October 15th last at which Nicky White, as president of the IABA, was present. All the Welsh boxers on that occasion were affiliated to the official WABA.

Three days later Nicky White's own club, St Jude's of Wexford, travelled to Wales to box in a club tournament against the Maesteg club which is in dispute with the WABA. White had remained in Wales, with members of his immediate family who live there, as part of his annual holidays and attended the club tournament in a private capacity.

"I wasn't there as president of the IABA. One of my relations paid for me to get in. I wasn't wearing an IABA blazer. In fact, I wasn't wearing a tie," he said, last night.

He added that he would be making a full statement on the controversy at Saturday's standing committee meeting and would answer any questions put to him.

The WABA, in the meantime, has written to the IABA to complain officially about White's presence and that of the other St Jude's officials at what they see as an unofficial tournament which was not sanctioned by the Welsh authorities.

A letter from the honorary general secretary of the WABA, J K (Jack) Watkins, to his Irish counterpart, Joe Kirwan, protests in the strongest possible terms about the involvement of the St Judes club in the tournament.

The IABA has been in continual turmoil for a number of years. In recent years there have been several resignations from the board of trustees and more recently an honorary treasurer and the honorary secretary have resigned.

Just over a year ago the long serving president of the association, Felix Jones, was defeated by the present president, Nicky White.

More recently there were threats of legal action in a bid to sort out several problems in regard to the running of the association and the organisation of the Ringside Club, a social club attached to the National Stadium, which is part of the overall Irish Amateur Boxing Association but which claims to be an autonomous body.