Bernard Dunne has been confirmed as the new High Performance Director for Irish Boxing.
The announcement was made by the Irish Athletic Boxing Association at the National Sports Campus.
Dunne, who was WBA Super Bantamweight champion in 2009, outlined his intentions as he takes on the role with immediate effect.
"I believe there is huge talent within Irish boxing and I am looking forward to working with the boxers, the coaches, the clubs and the wider boxing community. We have the infrastructure around the country and we have the support of OCI and the Government," he said as his appointment was confirmed.
"My vision is to take the very best in the current system and match it with the very latest in high performance training so that our men and women can perform and win at European, World and Olympic level.
Bernard Dunne confirmed as IABA's new High Performance Director @NewstalkSport pic.twitter.com/66umIKtzav
— Cian Roche (@cian_roche) April 27, 2017
"Their attitude, commitment and work ethics are equally as important as their talents. So, I will be working with the boxers and the coaches to get the very best from their training regimes, diets, as well as their physical, mental and all round development," he said
Sport Ireland chairman Kieran Mulvey expressed his belief that the appointment of Dunne is in line with the points set out in the review of Ireland's Rio 2016 performance.
"On behalf of Sport Ireland I would like to congratulate Bernard on his appointment. Bernard brings with him a wealth of experience in both the amateur and professional environment, and is the ideal candidate to lead Ireland’s boxing programme as we enter the Tokyo 2020 cycle," he said.
"The appointment of Bernard as High Performance Director satisfies one of the key recommendations in Sport Ireland’s Rio Review which was published earlier this month and signifies a new start for amateur boxing in Ireland. Boxing has traditionally been one of Ireland’s most successful sports and we look forward to even more success under Bernard’s leadership long into the future."
Among his roles since retiring from boxing, Dunne has worked with Jim Gavin's Dublin senior Gaelic footballers as a performance and lifestyle coach.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
