Efforts by the Irish boxing contingent to qualify for places in the European and Olympic boxing championships are being frustrated by a lack of consistency in judging methods. A team of Irish boxers, under manager Harry Hawkins from Belfast, are competing in qualifying tournaments for the European and Olympic championships in Bucharest and are far from happy with the way the tournaments are being run. Hawkins is protesting about the confusing judging systems which are being used. Two rings are in operation, one for the Olympics and one for the Europeans. Strangely, the Olympic ring is using five ringside judges who give their decisions on paper, while in the European ring computer scoring is being used.

Irish boxers came out on the losing side in both situations yesterday. Competing for a place in the Olympics in Sydney, Damien McKenna from Drogheda came out on the wrong side of split 3-2 decision, while Francie Barrett from Galway lost a 10-5 decision on the computer as he attempted to qualify for the European finals. Hawkins was scathing about the confusion which has prevailed since boxing started yesterday morning. "The Olympics will be judged on computers but here in Bucharest they are using the old system.

"It is very difficult to instruct a boxer in training when neither he, nor his coach, knows what system will be used. It is crazy and ourselves and the English are going to protest strongly about the way these tournaments are being organised," he said yesterday.

Other Irish boxers involved within the next few days are Aodh Carlyle from the Sacred Heart club in Dublin, Conal Carmichael from Holy Trinity in Belfast and Jim Rooney from Holy Family in Belfast, all of whom are boxing for Olympic places. Boxing for European qualification in Tampera, Finland in May are Jim Duddy from the Ring club in Derry and Terry Carlysle from the Sacred Heart club in Dublin.