Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This day last week I attended a wonderful event hosted by Esker Amateur Boxing Club in Lucan. The Shamrock & Olive Tree Boxing Project is a cultural exchange aimed at the development of the sport of boxing in Ireland and Palestine. The group of boxing clubs from across Ireland, including St. Saviours Crystal Boxing Club in Waterford; St. Paul’s Amateur Boxing Club of Belfast; and Esker Amateur Boxing Club in Lucan in Dublin are co-ordinating this project. They have partnered with boxing clubs in Palestine to create a cultural and boxing exchange programme. Three clubs from Palestine, Bedu Club, Nablus Youth Club and ElBarrio Gym in Ramallah, will come together in Palestine in August 2022 to exchange a boxing programme initiative.

The Shamrock & Olive Tree Boxing Project will feature boxing coaches from Ireland taking part in seminars with their Palestinian partners to share their skills and new training methods. The project will include three-star International Boxing Association, IBA, officials from Ireland and a series of workshops and demonstrations. Training sessions between the clubs will benefit referees and judges on a local level in Palestine. The project is a brand new initiative that promotes boxing at a local and international level. The Shamrock & Olive Tree Boxing Project is seeking funds to support participants from Ireland to contribute towards travel expenses and the provision of kits and sporting equipment which they will leave in Palestine. A www.gofundme.compage has been set up for this. This is a brilliant initiative and in future it will hopefully lead to Palestinian boxers coming over to Ireland. It is a good news story that deserves all the support it gets. It will further strengthen the support and solidarity between Ireland and Palestine.

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