BOXING NEWS:LAST WEEK Ken Egan travelled to London to look at the boxing venue for the 2012 Olympics.

Two years out from the Games, the Beijing silver medallist knows there is a lot to do between then and now. Tonight will be the first real move towards that goal when he steps up to seek a record 10th consecutive Irish Senior title against Tommy McCarthy.

His first two titles were won at middleweight and seven others at light heavyweight.

This week a number of things were on his mind, sponsorship with Nivea, the National Championships and the next Olympics.

“I was in London last Sunday with Pat Hickey, John Delaney and (President) Mary McAleese,” says Egan. “I went and looked at the boxing venue. It’s a building site. I got the butterflies again just looking at it. It’s hard to believe that Beijing was just two years ago and now our first qualifier for London is next year in Korea.

“Getting the 10th title is important, but next year’s Seniors are more important because it means selection for the World Championships, which are Olympic qualifiers. Really that’s more important than this year’s championships.”

For Egan the National Stadium has been his second home and he says “the coaches are my second parents because we’re always together”. But there is a respect for the national title that, for every boxer, reaches back to their childhoods. Egan is no different. The taking of titles and the passing on of titles is an important sequence in amateur boxing.

“Last week I was speaking with John O’Sullivan, who won 10 national titles. He came down to the dressingroom to wish me luck. I hope that in 20 years time I’ll be the one walking down to the dressingroom wishing someone else luck.

“Of course I would do that. Records are meant to be broken, but I’ll see this Friday as just another senior title. I won’t put 10 in a row into my head because thinking like that would just eat me up.

“I’ve been going to The Stadium since I was 15 or 16 years old and I’m blessed because I live down the road. The other lads (on the High Performance squad) have to come up from the country.

“But on the night I will feel nervous. I get nervous before every fight, which I think is important whether it’s an Olympic final or a local show. It’s good to have butterflies, to feel alert and keep focused round by round. I’ll go into that fight as though it was my first senior title.”

Egan has done his coaching course and when he’s done and dusted he’ll go back to his club in Neilstown. They have started building a new club.

It will be finished by the end of the year and Egan will take up residency when his career is complete. Between now and then there is a lot to achieve.

“In Beijing everything went perfectly. The lads performed. We did the business,” he says.

“Hopefully in London we’ll get six or seven qualified even though we know it’s getting harder and harder.”