The Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) will host the 2011 European Senior Championships in Dublin.
The IABA, which celebrates its 100th birthday next year, today confirmed that the Association will host the Championships for the first time in 63 years next June.
At least 40 nations will take part in the 39th edition of the prestigious tournament.
The European Senior Championships are usually a biannual event but the 2011 edition have been granted to the IABA for its centenary celebrations and to facilitate European boxers in their preparations for the 2011 AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan next September.
The IABA last hosted the European Senior Championships in 1947 at the National Stadium in Dublin where Ireland's Gerry O'Colman, Peter McGuire and Eddie Cantwell claimed gold, silver and bronze.
Today's announcement arrives just a few months after Paddy Barnes, Darren O'Neill, Ken Egan, Eric Donovan and Tyrone McCullagh claimed gold, silver and three bronze medals for Ireland at the 2010 European Senior Championships at the Ice Palace in Moscow.
That haul helped Ireland finish is second spot in the medals table behind powerhouses Russia.
Founded in 1911, the IABA will celebrate its 100th birthday next year and IABA President Tommy Murphy said hosting the continental deciders would be an enormous boost for the sport.
‘We're absolutely delighted to announce that the Irish Amateur Boxing Association will host the 2011 European Senior Championships in our centenary year,' said the IABA President.
‘The European Senior Championships are obviously are very prestigious tournament and to be granted the opportunity to stage them in Dublin is an enormous boost to Irish amateur boxing.’
