TUV South Belfast Assembly candidate Andrew Girvin visited a boxing event in Sandy Row Boxing Club last night. Speaking after the event Andrew said:
“Clubs like Sandy Row are an important part of life in working class Loyalist areas of Belfast. It is truly inspirational to see how sport can lift the spirits of young people and drive them on to greater success both in sport and academics.
“Sadly, however, there are forces at play in sport which deny people fairness. A decade ago a report commissioned by the then Sports’ Minister exposed a catalogue of sectarian incidents which youngsters from Sandy Row had been exposed to over many years. It also highlighted the inequality of boxers from Northern Ireland being denied the right to represent the United Kingdom on the greatest sporting stage in the world, the Olympics.
“As any football fan knows, the Belfast Agreement has led to a situation where the Republic of Ireland has been able to poach many of our most promising footballers. However, when it comes to other sports like boxing young men and women do not have the right to choose which national flag they compete under. If elected I will fight for the right of athletes from Northern Ireland in all sports to compete on the international stage for the United Kingdom.
“I believe that Sport NI needs to recognise bodies which want to facilitate athletes to compete for the UK on the international stage, with many at present compelled to affiliate to Irish, rather than British, oversight bodies.”