Inverness boxers left gutted and destroyed as international event Lonsdale Box Cup in Glasgow abandoned after administration and organisation descends into 'chaos' and 'pandemonium'
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Inverness athletes have been left "gutted and "devastated" after an international boxing tournament in Glasgow was abandoned due to administration and organisational issues.
The Lonsdale International Box Cup was forced to stop all fights after it was ruled by management that the tournament could not carry on due to problems which had occurred to run the event.
The event which drew boxers from all over the world, included 10 athletes from Inverness based Highland Boxing Academy to the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
The tournament started yesterday, and was scheduled to carry on all weekend before being abandoned this afternoon.
Highland Boxing Academy head coach Liam Foy says his club paid out £4000 for his squad of boxers, plus coaches to compete at the event.
He says the event descended into chaos and pandemonium, saying there was no way it could continue.
"There are systems to deal with boxers at events, with one in particular used for big international events to deal with large number of boxers," said Foy.
"Organisers chose to go with a new system and they said previously the system had been crashing.
"They were also allowing boxers to change divisions at the final minute and accommodate boxers to compete in divisions they were never supposed to be in.
"It was causing pandemonium and chaos. There were so many factors which happened that resulted in delays.
"I have never been to a tournament where a system failed to produce a high level competition.
"There were over 1000 boxers in the tournament, with some coming from Australia, and I feel really sorry for them.
"It was a cracking venue, everything should have been set up for a fantastic tournament.
"It came down to bad administration and organisation with the system they chose and it caused loads of problems.
"Clubs were getting sick and tired as information was not getting communicated."
As well as the financial cost to the boxing club, Foy is more concerned with the mental aspect this will cause his athletes and the impact on their careers.
"We had 10 boxers, five coaches and two volunteers at the event and we're knocking the door of £4000 to compete for what is now a weekend away in Glasgow.
"From the heart, the biggest problem I have is the shockwave this sends through the club.
"I hate not fulfilling promises and following plans set for our boxers which doesn't manifest at the end.
"If that goes wrong, I feel responsible, but I know this was nothing to do with us.
"A few of our boxers were looking good to win titles. In my head, I thought I could take half of them back home champions.
"Our boxers were geared up to have that opportunity and could be international champions and then it is taken away from them.
"I now have to build up the motivation and hunger in them that they want to box and win titles for the club.
"This has brought me to my knees and the boxers are destroyed by this."
The master of ceremonies at the Lonsdale Box Cup confirmed the tournament could not continue to athletes in the arena.
In a statement he announced in the ring which was posted by HBA on their social media account, he said: "The last few days has been difficult.
"I have been upstairs to the management to see what is going on and they have been working to try and make things work.
"Boxers have been turning up to fight somebody who have been pulled previously.
"They have to make a decision and they have decided the tournament can't continue today or tomorrow."
