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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

'Nothing is impossible' says Zaur Antia as Paris 2024 tickets on offer today for Irish boxers

Team Ireland is guaranteed to have seven boxers - and potentially nine - fighting for Olympic qualification over the next 72 hours, their ultimate ambition to add to the 18 medals won by their legendary predecessors.

Zaur Antia's ethos of constant evolution has put them in this place at the Nowy Targ Arena, a municipal ice rink situated almost 90km from Krakow that has been transformed for the European Games in Poland.

Nowy Targ is the largest city in the Podhale region and is known for trade and crafts. It's a fitting venue for Team Ireland's high-stakes efforts this week because Antia's work since moving to Ireland from Georgia 20 years ago has focused on honing the craft of the elite boxers.

READ MORE: Seven Irish boxing hopefuls to fight for Paris 2024 spots in Poland tomorrow

"What can I say, we have this culture, we are always thinking how to focus on performance," said Antia. "That's what it is about. We're not thinking about qualifying, we're thinking about performance.

"It's about taking it one day at a time. That's what has brought us to this stage today, because that is how we are always focused.

"Because if you are thinking about tomorrow today, what you want doesn't happen.

"The second thing is if you're thinking about winning, well everyone wants to win, of course. But to win you need to perform, correct?

"Think about performance and that will take care of the win. It will take care of everything. We’re making a statement on the big stage. We have an unbelievable team and all the hard work is paying off."

Next year's Games in Paris will complete a golden circle for Team Ireland, given that it was in the French capital in 1924 that Ireland first participated in the Olympics.

Since then, 35 medals have been mined from the Games by Irish athletes. Boxers have claimed just over half of that total and Antia, who was first on board in Beijing in 2008, has been in the corner for nine of that haul.

It is a remarkable record and the indications are that the golden run - only Rio has failed to yield any medals in that period - will continue next year, with big names Kellie Harrington and Amy Broadhurst leading the way into the quarter-finals in Poland.

The majority of the hopefuls can qualify for the Games if they win their last eight ties. Others have to reach the final. But there will be nine quarter-finals involving Irish boxers today.

Exciting young prospect Daina Moorehouse triumphed in her last 16 contest yesterday evening, followed by Tokyo Olympians Michaela Walsh and Aoife O'Rourke.

Moorehouse and Walsh will join Harrington, Amy Broadhurst, Dean Clancy, Jennifer Lehane and Kelyn Cassidy in trying to win the quarter-final that will secure their ticket to the Games. O'Rourke and Jack Marley have more work to do.

"Yes," he said. "You know, the most difficult thing when you're planning fights, it's a very difficult challenge.

"I think we can plan, and I think nothing is impossible and we will try our best - again and again. It's fantastic."

Only three of the 12-strong team have failed to make it this far. Dean Walsh, Jude Gallagher and Sean Mari will have other chances to book their ticket.

"Our boxers have performed very well," said Antia. "Some are disappointed and that happens as well, it's difficult but they tried their best.

"Look, Dean Walsh came very close on Sunday in his bout, the last round especially was close, but after that fight was over I told him to take one day rest and then next day to start training.

"The preparation for Dean's Olympics starts here, the next day, because we are so busy with competition after competition, you have to prepare right but you need time for development as well.

"In the competition you get good experience but to polish your skills you need time training as well and that's why we are trying to improve all the time with our coaching.

"Performance is number one. Sometimes you can do your best but it doesn't work, you need more development. This is what we're learning here.

"Overall the Irish boxers are doing very well. But even if they have lost here, I'm looking at their performance.

"If they did everything they could then that's the most important thing for me, we can continue their development, add a few things that we need to change. We can become stronger from here, no problem."

Antia has been the unshifting rock amidst the turbulence of Irish boxing in what was still such a successful period. Gary Keegan, Billy Walsh and Eddie Bolger were three highly influential members of the set-up, as was Bernard Dunne in the last Olympic cycle.

All four moved on, their exits made easier by disillusionment with Irish boxing. But the man from the Black Sea port city of Poti persisted with his ways.

"We always try to improve all the time and our work is always innovative," said the national tactical and technical head coach. "We are always thinking about how to improve things.

"We watch world standards all the time and try to add more if possible, to not stay in the same place because progress is development. If you're not making progress then you are regressing.

"You never should stay in the same place and that is our target, to improve all the time - and hard work."

He understands the importance of this tournament but, at the same time, the fundamentals of the job haven't changed this week. They can't change.

Antia explained: "We always try to focus as much as possible on everything but we are learning every day. We have huge experience, yes, but every time is a new experience.

"Some boxers were losing 5-0 after the first round and then they won, some boxers won the first round 5-0 and then something happened. We are watching everything and taking it all into account.

"We are looking to find what worked, what didn't work, for our improvement and for a better future, to help boxers to realise their potential.

"I think we can only become stronger with this approach, to try to improve all the time."

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