“It has been all go, madness really.” Welcome to the life and times of Kenny Egan. Silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics, a laudable spell as the Irish Boxing team captain, but finding the correct balance since the summer has been tricky.
Everybody is frantically searching for a slice of the Egan pie, but solace was found in that most storied of sporting venues in New York, Madison Square Garden. Egan was pampered at the latest Joe Calzaghe masterpiece when Roy Jones Junior was dismantled, and the 26-year-old Dubliner was thrilled by the art witnessed. “It was a great fight, there was a super atmosphere there. Calzaghe is one of the best boxers on the planet at the minute. He is 36, but is still class, and it was unbelieveable to sit there and watch it ringside. I was invited over, everything was paid for so that was a brilliant experience for me to watch fighters like Calzaghe and Roy Jones Junior in action.”
Lurking within every competitor is the idealistic vision of a fan, and Egan retreated back to the Emerald Isle pondering his future. “It was good for me to watch two boys that are among the best in the world in the division that I would fight at. It was a real insight to see them up close and to see what the standard is like. As it stands I am still 50-50 as to whether I will turn professional or not. It is a difficult decision. I suppose it has taken me so long to get recognition and the next four or five years are crucial so I’ll have to do some more thinking.”
And that is precisely what Egan must do. On one side of the coin is the possibility of being a professional. A glimpse of that was available at the Garden, but then there is London 2012, however sport doesn’t come with any guarantees. Egan concurs. “With London being just across the water it would be great as there would be so many going over to support me. But then you wonder in four years who knows if I make it on the team to London because there is plenty of young guys coming through the ranks, and they will all have an Olympic dream.
“This has been the best year ever for the Irish amauter boxing scene. All the medals that have been won in the different championships really give hope that the future can be successful. Like at the Beijing games we won three medals, by the time the London games come around Ireland could be competing for 10 or 11. It has been a great year and please God it will continue.
“The lads on the junior team that are pulling medals will be keen to go to London, but it will all be decided by funding, and in fairness the Irish Sports Council are very good to you once you reach the criteria. The recession could have an effect, but the bottom line is about criteria, and if guys are winning medals on an international stage they deserve good funding.”
Three hectic months have followed Beijing, and despite his considerable achievements realism is attached to Egan. Locating the time and space to train with the requisite zeal is an issue that needs solving. Measures have been taken, including the appointment of agent Liam Gaskin to aid the process. “I haven’t had the time to focus and be like the athlete I was before the Olympics. It can be hard trying to please everybody both mentally and physically. To be honest the type of guy I am I hate saying no, but nobody can be in two places at once so I suppose it is difficult to keep everyone happy.
“Liam has been a help because people have to go through him if they want me so that has eased things on me a little.
“Once the tour of the DVD is over I’ll be getting back into serious training and who knows what the future holds. I’ll either be preparing for the National Championships next February or who knows, I could turn professional. It is a really difficult choice to make.” Whatever challenge Egan opts for it will be embraced with courage and conviction.
*Kenny Egan will be in Zhivago Records, Shop Street, Galway next Sunday November 23 at 2pm to sign copies of his new Back from Beijing DVD.
