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Walsh: 'Blatant blackguardism'
THE Irish Olympic boxing team's Limerick-born manager described it as 'blatant blackguardism'.
Bruree man Jim Walsh this week joined in venting his frustration at the controversial judging decision which saw Ireland's Kenny Egan lose out on a gold medal to China's Zhang Xiaoping in the light heavyweight final at the Beijing Olympics.
The record books will show that Zhang Xiaopong landed 11 scoring shots to Egan's seven, but the scoring system came in for stinging criticism in the wake of the bout at the Workers' Gymnasium.
Limerick man Walsh, who had the honour of participating in the stunning opening ceremony at the Beijing Games, described the judging in the final as 'disgraceful'.
"It was a disgraceful decision in my opinion," Irish boxing team manager Jim Walsh said.
"I have been judging boxing for 30 years and I cannot understand how they selected the judges. It is supposed to be done randomly using a computer, but I don't know about that.
"Kenny (Egan) scored with at least three shots which were not given by the judges. And Paddy Barnes was right to feel aggrieved after the judges failed to award him a single point in his semi-final against another Chinese opponent.
"But despite those frustrations we were all thrilled with how the Irish boxers performed.
"To come home with three medals was phenomenal. The USA only won one, for instance.
"We never expected to do so well. And each of the five irish fighters lost to the eventual Olympic champion in their weight division."
Walsh, who returned home to Limerick this week to begin work in his new 66-seater Maxwell's Lane restaurant in Croom, said he was hopeful that Ireland would qualify close to a full compliment of 11 boxers to compete in the London Olympics in 2012.
Walsh, a member of St. Francis Boxing Club, said he was hopeful that Munster boxers would be represented in the Irish team at the London Games, following the success of Limerick's Andy Lee in 2004 and Cork's Michael Roche in 2000.
"I would be confident that we could qualify a boxer in each of the 11 weight divisions in 2012, although it will be difficult to have a representative at the 91kg-plus super-heavyweight division given the shortage of them around the country," Jim Walsh said.
"We have ample talent in 10 of the weight divisions. Boxing is on a high at the minute. It is enjoying a huge profile all over the country. The fact that the Olympics will be staged close by in London in four years time will heighten the determination of talented young boxers to qualify."
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Weather for Limerick
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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