Irish boxing coach Zaur Antia met up with Pat Hickey and Stephen Martin before the upcoming AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Azerbaijan.
Antia develped a great friendship with the OCI in Beijing. Pat Hickey wished Zaur and the Irish Team every success at the forthcoming AIBA Worlds, and in their quest to qualify for London 2012.
The AIBA World Championships are the first major qualifier for male boxers for the 2012 Olympics, starting in Baku on Monday, September 26th.
Boxers finishing in a top-10 position in eight of the weight divisions from light-flyweight to light-heavyweight in Baku will book their tickets for the 2012 Olympics. Boxers in the heavyweight and super-heavyweight classes will have to finish in a top-six position to qualify for the 30th Olympiad.
The Irish squad will leave for an eight-day training camp with hosts Italy, Ukraine and Azerbaijan in Assisi on Friday.
