Jude’s Commonwealth Games bound

JUDE Gallagher is fully focused on the end of July when he will be in Birmingham to represent Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games.

The supremely talented Newtownstewart pugilist has long been touted as an international star, throughout his youth career during which he earned a host of Irish titles.

He continued that form into the senior ranks, winning the Irish crown at the first attempt only to miss out on a place at the Tokyo Olympics due to a growth spurt that left him unable to make the 52kg weight he qualified in.

Fast forward 12 months, however, and the new Ulster Elite 57kg champion is delighted to get his opportunity to fight on the big stage and the Two Castles club man can’t wait for the first bell.

“I’m dying to get going!,” he exclaimed. “The way the Commonwealth’s are run and the way it’s organised, it’s the next best thing to the Olympics.

“It’s a Games, it’s not just about one particular sport, and although it’s not worldwide, it’s selected countries, but it’s a major competition and one I’m going for gold at.”

While the 20-year-old’s aspirations are realistic even at this early stage of his career, he knows that even without the Americans, Cubans and eastern Europeans being involved, winning a Commonwealth title will be far from easy.

“At this type of games it’s definitely achievable to win a gold medal, but there are some good nations involved and it will be a difficult tournament,” he acknowledged.

“It’s a little more open than an Olympics, but there are still some good nations there like England, Canada, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, really good boxing nations who will be out there to do their best too.

“Everyone is out to win and they will see it as a good opportunity.”

Gallagher’s focus has already been on the Games for several weeks but now that the news of his selection is public and official, he has a renewed vigor ahead of the Games.

Over the next few months he will continue to train hard and having already enjoyed a two week training camp in Italy where he sparred with several of their hosts, he’s looking forward to some competitive bouts ahead of his trip to Birmingham so he can sharpen his edges before the action starts in earnest.

“The multi-nations training camp was a great experience, sparring with three or four different Italians. I learned a lot from it over the two weeks, which was great,” he added.

“We have a tournament in four weeks time and a  multi-nations thing in Holland, which will be good to be involved in before the Commonwealth Games because you want competition.

“You can train all you want but you need a proper fight, there’s nothing like it, so it will be good to get that before the Games starts to make sure you’re right for that.”

While the in-ring action is his main priority, Gallagher is also relishing the additional aspects the Commonwealth Games brings, like the athletes village and the opening ceremony.

“All that stuff looks unreal,” he beamed. “The opening ceremony and closing ceremony have millions watching it and they are all to look forward to and enjoy.”

And although he admits it’s a little disappointing that the Games are in Birmingham rather than the Bahamas or Australia, he feels their proximity could be a blessing in disguise.

“Because it’s essentially just down the road, we should have good support,” he said.

“If it was the Gold Coast or elsewhere in Australia there wouldn’t be many there to support us and that’s what Damien Sullivan said, he’s our heavyweight, he said they had no support out there at the last Commonwealth Games.

“He fought an Australian for a medal and he felt it did make a difference when the bell went, so the support will be a big help and that’s the plus side of it.”