Katie Taylor's dad Pete has hit out at Kellie Harrington and took aim at the Olympic champion after she claimed the boxing coach held back her career.
Harrington has written in detail about her relationship with Pete and she also spoke about the relationship in an interview with the Irish Independent. The interview sparked Taylor to take to social media where he released a long statement claiming Kellie was just the third best 60kg fighter in Ireland despite her gold medal heroics.
He said: "First I would like to congratulate the Irish female boxing team for their success in the latest championships. Ireland's female boxers are now as feared as the male Cuban boxers."
Read more: Kellie Harrington opens up on relationship with Katie Taylor's father Pete
Taylor continued by saying that he didn't usually respond but felt he had to address what Harrington had said about his role in female boxing.
"I'd like to start by stating that I am proud of my role and efforts both with the IABA and AIBA working to get female boxing recognized and for spearheading campaigns to get female boxing sanctioned in Ireland and as an Olympic sport. Kelly would unlikely be in the position she is today if it wasn't for that: FACT. I travelled with Katie to every boxing tournament around the world, Katie was a trailblazer for woman's boxing both domestically and internationally."
Taylor also hit out at claims Harrington was not getting the same opportunities as Katie Taylor and male boxers. He added: "You said 'you were not given the opportunities' yet you were away on trips with the Irish boxing teams many times; Liverpool, Holland, Poland to name a few.
"You were beaten in a box off in the national stadium to go to the worlds in Barbados by Allana Murphy. So you had many opportunities. FACT"
And he also responded to claims that he stopped Harrington from fighting.
"No coach has the autonomy to select teams," he wrote. "Everyone in boxing is well aware that central council select all national teams and not coaches: FACT."
Harrington also claimed Katie didn't spar with female boxers, which Pete denied.
"You said Katie wasn't allowed to spar girls," he said. "Katie mainly sparred men but occasionally would spar girls, when the time was right in camp for that spar, that's good coaching. You, yourself stated that I am a good coach which is contradictory to other statements you mad. FACT."
Taylor then challenged Harrington to take on World Champion Amy Broadhurst and said she is the third best 60kg fighter in Ireland.
"You should now step up to the plate and give the current world champion Amy Broadhurst a box off," he said. "You may be Olympic champion a great achievement, but you are currently the third best female 60kg boxer in the country behind Katie and amateur world champ Amy Broadhurst."
Read next:
- Katie Taylor and Eddie Hearn hint at Croke Park fight after victory in London
- Katie Taylor's net worth and the amount paid for fights
- Kellie Harrington shocks RTE viewers with insights on her rebellious past
- Katie Taylor hopes to reward Irish fans with massive Croke Park homecoming in 2023
- 'Ireland's loss' says Kellie Harrington as Bernard Dunne named India's new high-performance director
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