Nevins former teammate among argentina crash deaths

A former teammate of Mullingar Olympic boxer John Joe Nevin was one of ten people to lose their lives in a tragic helicopter crash in Argentina yesterday.

Alexis Vastine (28), one of France's top amateur boxers, died when the helicopter he was travelling in collided with another helicopter in Argentina's Western province of La Rioja, near the Andes mountains.

Vastine was in Argentina for the filming of a new endurance-style TV show, 'Dropped', in which famous French sporting figures call on their orientation and survival skills after being blindfolded and dropped in the wilderness.

The light-welterweight pugilist spent two years as Nevin's teammate competing in the World Series of Boxing with Paris United. Both of them competed at the Olympics in Beijing (2008) and London (2012), with Vastine picking up bronze at the former.

This morning, Nevin took to Facebook to pay tribute to the Frenchman.

"RIP to my good teammate and boxing friend on the Paris United boxing team for two years," the Olympic silver medallist said.

"Lovely lad, always a smile on his face and what a boxer.... God only takes the good."