THE IRISH ATHLETIC Boxing Association (IABA) will clear Mullingar teenager John Donoghue to fight for a medal at the Junior World Boxing Championships in Armenia tomorrow and effectively bring an end to a ban on Irish boxers facing either Russian or Belarusian opponents.

The ban has been in place since March 2022 when, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 36 sports ministers in countries across the EU, North America and Australasia jointly declared that both Russia and Belarus should be prevented from competing from all international sports.

Sport Ireland encouraged its National Governing Bodies such as the IABA to adhere to this total boycott of opponents from Russia and Belarus, which was broadly adopted across world sport.

Amateur boxing, however, was an outlier: its officially recognised governing body, Iba, has strong ties to Russia through its controversial president Umar Kremlev and its sponsorship from Russian majority-state-owned energy company Gazprom.

Russian and Belarusian athletes have consequently been permitted to compete at Iba-governed international boxing competitions, which include the recent European U22s and the ongoing Junior Worlds.

The IABA refused to send athletes to the most recent World Elites and, in attempt to save Olympic boxing from its destruction at the hands of the Kremlev-led Iba, it has supported the formation of a breakaway federation — World Boxing — along with powers such as the USA and the UK.

However, Ireland’s governing body remains affiliated to Iba in its constitution. An August vote to amend that was narrowly defeated by club delegates (84 voted in favour, 24 against, and so the resolution fell just five votes short of the requisite 75%) who effectively feared the unknown that lay beyond Iba affiliation.

Equally under pressure from clubs, and partly taking into consideration the amount of boxing that was lost to young athletes in this country during the pandemic, the IABA recently permitted underage boxers to compete at Iba competitions such as the European U22s and the Junior Worlds this month.

However, boxers on both of those teams were clearly informed that if they were drawn against a Russian or Belarusian opponent, the IABA would have to follow government guidance and withdraw them the competition.

The IABA is solely reliant on government funding and was operating under the belief that it could be sanctioned for breaking the Russian/Belarusian ban.

Ireland’s were the only boxers from the original 36 signatory countries who were faced with this conundrum at either the European U22s or the Junior Worlds. (However, some of the 36 countries — particularly those who have begun to form World Boxing — continued to boycott the Iba competitions altogether).

Mullingar teenager John Donoghue looked set to become the fifth young Irish boxer in recent weeks to fall foul of the directive when he was drawn to face Russia’s Timofei Teniaev in his Junior World quarter-final, the winner of which on Thursday will take home at least bronze from the U17 competition.

Donoghue’s teammate, Tegan Farrelly, didn’t even get to lace up a pair of gloves in Armenia after she drew Russian opposition in the first round.

Earlier this month, then, at the European U22s, three other Irish boxers had their dreams ruined by the same policy: team captain Kian Hedderman, Gavin Rafferty, and Evelyn Igharo, the latter of whom was denied her right to compete for a place in the middleweight final.

On Tuesday, however, Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne stressed that there would be no consequences for the IABA should it permit one of its boxers to compete against a Russian or Belarusian opponent.

Responding to a question on the issue from Chris Andrews TD at an Oireachtas committee, Minister Byrne said: “The IABA are an autonomous organisation. We don’t tell them what to do.

“I, and like-minded ministers internationally, have been very clear on the exclusion of athletes representing Russia or Belarus. We as ministers have made a number of very clear statements in this regard. This has certainly placed athletes and indeed the IABA in a difficult position, in particular.

“I certainly welcome and applaud that they have stuck to this principle, and their boxers, and it’s a very important point that they do. But we have always been very clear that the IABA is an autonomous organisation and they make their own decisions. We don’t make those decisions for them.”

Pressed by Andrews as to whether there would be sanctions from Sport Ireland if the IABA decided to act against the Russian-Belarusian ban, Byrne replied “No.”

That development should come as a reprieve for the 15-year-old Donoghue if not for the four other young Irish boxers who have fallen foul of the ban in recent weeks.

Speaking to Joe Duffy on RTÉ’s Liveline, IABA president Gerry O’Mahony said: “After last night, I believe [the government] has changed its policy; after Thomas Byrne’s statement last night in the Dáil that it’s up to us, that we decide.

“But we were never notified of that. And I’m not blaming Sport Ireland and I’m not blaming the government as such: they signed up to agreements that, at the time, seemed the right thing to do in the hope that the war would be over in a short period of time. It’s still going on and it may go on for the next 20 years but in the meantime, the people on the periphery who are suffering are the likes of kids, are the likes of John Donoghue.

“After last night’s statement, I am prepared to risk it because he said it will not affect our funding.

“But if they’ve changed their position on young athletes [competing against Russia and Belarusian athletes], they should have notified us.”

Asked if he could assure Donoghue and his family that the Mullingar youngster would be cleared to box on Thursday, O’Mahony replied: “That is my hope. That is my hope.

“I actually spoke to the manager of the team out in Armenia, Anna Moore, and my hopes are that the young lad can box.”