At the first meeting of the Olympic Federation of Ireland Athletes’ Commission Darren O’Neill, Ireland’s representative in the middleweight category in boxing at the London Olympic Games was unanimously elected as chairperson.
Darren from Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny will attend OCI Executive Committee meetings as an ex oficio member. Following his election, he said “it is a great honour for me and for boxing to be elected as chairman and I will be a voice for my fellow athletes at the highest level in Ireland.”
He is joined by fellow Olympians and commission members Olive Loughnane (Athletics) Scott Evans (Badminton) Barry Murphy (Swimming) and Shane O’Connor (Skiing)
Pat Hickey, President of the Olympic Council of Ireland, who welcomed the commission members to their first meeting said “as Boxing is the premier medal sport in Ireland I am delighted to see Darren, who was an inspirational captain to his boxing team mates in London, elected as Chairperson of our athlete’s commission and look forward to his input to the OCI Executive”.
Following the election, the commission was given an update on the OCI’s advanced operational planning on all Olympic events; European Youth Olympic Festival, Youth Olympic Games, European Games, Winter and Summer Olympic Games in the forthcoming cycle by OCI Chief Executive Stephen Martin and Sports Director Martin Burke. The athletes also discussed how they can add value to Team Ireland and the Olympic Council through the Athlete Commission in this Olympic Cycle.
