Oh dear, could nobody have seen this hurtling down the tracks?
Just as amateur boxing reaches another high point in visibility and public affection with ten boxers qualified to compete at the Olympic Games, than the President of the Governing Body the Irish Athletic Boxing Association has been forced to step aside from his role ahead of a Circuit Criminal Court appearance for trial by jury on 2nd July.
The Association said yesterday that it “has only just become aware of the subject matter of recent media articles naming Gerry O’Mahony and his involvement in legal proceedings”.
The charge of a sexual assault alleged to have taken place as far back as 2009 was levelled last May and so has been hanging over O’Mahoney for a period of time.
As recently as the weekend he was visibly fulfilling his role congratulating the foour boxers who qualified for the Olympics in Thailand.
There is a fine line between accusations and being charged with an offence and it is perhaps beholden on an individual to volunteer to step aside when such a line is crossed, albeit without prejudicing his right to a fair trial. We see it in politics and other areas of public life. We should surely have seen it here as well.
O’Mahony has now volunteered to “step aside from discharging the duties of the President of the IABA, pending the resolution of those matters,” but only after they were published in the Irish Examiner.
There is an irony that boxing’s violent premise is underpinned by a solid moral code among participants, exemplified by the genuine good nature of boxers like Aidan Walsh and Kellie Harrington.
Issues of governance had seemingly been nudged to one side at the IABA and it was to the fore in condemnation of the International Boxing Association and the impact its close ties with Russia and other matters were having on the Olympic future of the sport.
Now, like a fighter taking a sucker punch after getting on top it is left reeling in the public perception with its highest ranking official facing criminal trial.
The incident at the centre of the charges is 15 years old. That is a long time for it not to have been raised as a potential risk to the good name of the sport and for the right thing to have been done in terms of stepping aside from a voluntary position in the public eye.
“We are mindful of each person’s presumption of innocence and shall be making no further media comment on this matter which is now before the Courts,” concluded the IABA statement. Perhaps there will be comment around the boardroom table though.
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