ANITA FEELS TIME IS RIGHT

Anita has been involved in Irish boxing for 23 years and feels the time is right to retire from what has been an amazingly successful spell for the sport here.

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The 63-year-old won six National titles in his native country and a Soviet Union bronze medal as a fighter himself before moving into coaching.

"23 years is quite a long time, you have to know when to stop. I need time to rest myself and then think about another cycle, maybe," said Anita.

In a statement issued by the IABA, he said: "I have loved every moment of my time with Irish boxing.

"When I joined the Irish Athletic Boxing Association in 2003, high performance training was delivered in the gym at the National Stadium and the formal high-performance system was just beginning.

"Now, we are based in the Institute of Sport supported by world-leading sport science medical practitioners.