Tom Campbell
International Boxing Training Camp For Castlebar
By Tom Campbell
21, Sep 2013 - 10:25

INTERNATIONAL BOXING TRAINING CAMP FOR CASTLEBAR

Lough Lannagh Holiday Village, Castlebar has been selected by the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) as the venue for a training camp for the Ireland Elite Boxing squad ahead of the 17" AIBA World Elite Men's Championship. The Irish team and coaching staff arrived in CaStlebar on Tuesday and are joined by Elite squad's from Australia, Poland and Scotland.

All four sides are preparing for next month's AIBA World Elite Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The Lough Lannagh training camp runs from September, 10th to September, 20th.

The Irish squad includes London 2012 silver and bronze medallists, John Joe Nevin, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlon.

Nevin, the only Irish boxer besides Katie Taylor to be currently ranked No. 1 in the world, is the reigning European Elite Champions, Barnes, Joe Ward and Jason Quigley, the 2010/11/13 European Elite champions, are also with Team Ireland in Mayo.

All four nations will use the first class gymnasium at Lough Lannagh, which have been specially prepared by coaches from the Castlebar BC. Three boxing rings and 14 punch bags have been erected to facilitate the 50 athletics involved.
Ireland head coach, Billy Walsh and Castlebar head coach, Mick Quinn have worked over the last number of weeks to ensure that the training camp is to top international standards.

Castlebar has the added attraction of the excellent accommodation at Lough Lannagh village, the outdoor facilities, the Lakeside Greenway and GMIT sports layout.
The ten-man Irish Elite squad will travel from Castlebar direct to Almaty two weeks before the AIBA Elite World Championships to begin a tapering off camp.

Billy Walsh recently inspected the Lough Lannagh facilities and stated that Castlebar has an excellent set up, adding that the proximity to the Castlebar BC, the first class amenities and the tranquil area at Lough Lannagh Lake are ideal for the training programme ahead of Ireland's biggest test since the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Preliminary discussions are taking place with the IABA on the future possibilities of utilising the excellent facilities available at Lough Lannagh for use as a National and Regional Training Centre for Irish Amateur Boxing including proposals for the development of boxing, Ireland's leading Olympic Sport, in the West of Ireland.

Castlebar Boxing Club have provided all the specialist equipment required for this training camp.. At the recent re-opening of. the improvements at Castlebar Boxing Club, Art Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, acknowledged that the Club, under the leadership of Chairman Martin McLoughlin and Head Coach, Mick Quinn was vibrant and progressive.

An Taoiseach, acknowledged that the Castlebar Club had shown how the small Government priming grant for club gymnasium refurbishment was enhanced, two hundred per cent by the clubs voluntary work commitment.

Joe Hennigan, President of the Connacht Council who was Irish team manager at a recent Elite tournament in France, said western boxing officials and Mayo coaches were looking forward to the visit of the Elite teams and coaches of Ireland, Australia, Poland and Scotland and would be working towards making the Mayo training camp a huge success.

IABA head coach, Billy Walsh, Martin McLoughlin and Castlebar Town Manager, Seamus Granahan met the local press and outlined the progress of the IABA training camp at Castlebar in preparations for the World Elite Championships in Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, Castlebar will be the venue for the Garda Club boxing tournament for the visiting New York NYP police team for their annual clash. This year the inter-police tournament, with permission of the Mayo County Board and the appointment of the contest officials, will be at the Welcome Inn on October, 5th. Tickets can be purchased from Garda Darren Conlon, Westport Garda Station for this great charity event.