Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
£8.5k settlement on NI boxer’s squad blow
Lewis claimed religious bias over Games storm
A BOXER who missed out on the Northern Ireland squad due to what he believed was religious and political discrimination has secured a settlement.
Lewis Crocker, a Protestant, accepted £8,500 from the Ulster Boxing Council in the case which he brought under the Fair Employment and Treatment Order.
He believed he was not selected to represent Northern Ireland at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa because of his perceived religious belief/political opinion.
The Belfast man, 21, also claimed the boxers selected for the fivestrong team were all from a Catholic background.
Crocker – who is now a professional boxer who fought on Carl Frampton’s Windsor Park show last month – enjoyed a successful amateur career which included seven Irish titles.
He also competed at the World Championships and two European Championships.
The former Holy Trinity fighter had his name put forward for the 2015 team after he finished top in tests carried out at an Ulster High Performance Camp.
Crocker admits it was a “real shock” when he was told he hadn’t been selected despite being nominated by high performance director John Conlan.
He said: “I had earned a place on it. The UBC even refused to hold a box-off to decide who the best boxer was, a process which they have used before.
“Everyone else who was recommended by the head coach was selected.
“At the time my nonselection created a huge stir within the boxing community and I was devastated.
“I was only 18 at the time. It was crushing to miss out, and it was a big part of the reason why I turned professional.
“I am just happy new procedures are being put in place to stop this from happening again. I would hate for this to happen to another boxer.”
The Mirror was unable to contact the Ulster Boxing Council for comment.
It was crushing and a big part of the reason why I turned pro LEWIS CROCKER BELFAST YESTERDAY