IRISH amateur boxing received an enormous boost yesterday with the confirmation that Pat McCrory  was appointed Secretary of the  Amateur Boxing Associations (AIBA) Referee's and Judges (R&J) Commission.

The appointment to the World Amateur Boxing body arrives just under a year after former Irish Amateur Boxing Association President (IABA) Breandan O'Conaire was installed as Chairman of the European Amateur Boxing Associations R&J Committee.

O'Conaire also served a two year term as Secretary of the AIBAs Technical and Rules Commission from 1998

to 2006.

McCrory, who has been  President of IABAs Ulster branch for the last 18 years,  has worked with the  AIBA on their R&J Commission at the Sydney Olympics.

The Antrim native has also worked as a Technical Delegate at several major international competitions and has been

an international referee and judge since 1984.

He said: "I am certainly looking forward to working as Secretary of AIBA R/Js Commission with the determination to improve the judging standards and the scoring system which presently puts immense pressure on the judges.

"This will not happen overnight as it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks but with the help of the Commission and with planned International R/J Seminars & Workshops I am sure you will see many improvements in the short term with great improvements in the long term."