Rob McCracken appointed BABA performance director

ROB McCracken, the trainer of WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch, has been appointed Great Britain performance director with the task of delivering success at London 2012.

TAKING THE REINS: Rob McCracken (r) had been tasked with delivering British boxing success at London 2012

The 40-year-old takes the reins from Kevin Hickey, who was appointed at the start of the year but resigned after only eight months.

The former middleweight boxer  has been working as a part-time consultant to the GB Elite squad since February.  He will continue to train Froch, who will be based in Sheffield with the British stable,  ahead of his next bout in March.

McCracken captured world silver as an amateur boxer in 1990 and although he was due to compete at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, he turned professional in 1991.

"It's a great chance to work with the best young lads in Britain," said McCracken,  "The most fulfilling thing you can do is bring through a young fighter and help them develop to the best of their potential.

"I have no doubt everything will fit together well, I want to make sure that the GB squad spend some time with Carl.

"Carl has been great about it and I think it will be an inspiration for some of the lads to have a world champion working alongside them."

British Amateur Boxing Association chairman Derek Mapp will be hoping McCracken's appointment spells the end of a tumultuous period for the BABA, the UK Sport-funded umbrella organisation set up in October 2008 to oversee the development of Britain's elite boxers.

Despite leading Great Britain to their most successful Olympics in 52 years in Beijing, then head coach Terry Edwards did not have his contract renewed.

In a restricting move, Hickey then took the helm but resigned earlier this year, citing personal reasons. Only Bradley Saunders and Khalid Yafai out of the seven-man Beijing team remain in the amateur ranks.

Hickey's resignation came just a week after Great Britain returned from the World Championships in Milan empty-handed.

But with the World Series of Boxing, a professional-style tournament for amateurs, due to begin next year, Mapp is only too aware of the benefits McCracken's appointment will have.

"Rob is here to take the elite programme to the next level," he added. "He brings a depth of expertise and will enable these fighters to become better boxers and ultimately to deliver medals."

McCracken will have control over all coaching and training programmes ahead of London 2012 with a remit to bring boxers through from the development squad. He will also oversee women's boxing, set to make its Olympic debut at London 2012.