Boxing selection criticised

Press, 7 April 1979, Page 60

Boxing selection criticised

By

JOHN COFFEY

Criticism that the very promising Southland boxer, Peter Warren, was not given a greater opportunity to press for national selection was voiced yesterday by Mr M. V. Drury, one of the sport’s mos experienced match-makers. Warren, a quick and clever southpaw, comprehensively beat Mike Colley (Wellington) in the New Zealand trial at Christchurch

on March 18, but has been omitted from the eight-man /squad to compete at the •,I Oceania tournament in Ausi tralia next month. j! Describing Warren as i “one of the most promising! rl and talented competitors we 1 - have seen for a long time.” I Mr Drury said that thei i Southland representative! 1: should have been offered a -:chance to fight against the- - chosen bantam-weight, Tony .Atwood (Timaru). li Although the New Zealand,

i!title-holder in the bantamI weight division, Atwood; competed as a feather-! I weight in the trials, con-] I cedin', not only poundage,; I but also the points decision 1 Ito Trevor Wright, of Huttl 'Valley. , Those results would! i hardly have clarified the sit-j luation for the selectors! when making their deliberations on the lighter (weights, and Mr Drury beilieves that the position -could have been left open and Atwood drawn against Warren at the Canterbury! association’s tournament to-1 morrow. “I am disappointed that Atwood is in the team at the exclusion of Warren,” Mr Drury said. “Every time there is a New Zealand selection, there is at least one aspect that leaves an unsavory taste in one’s mouth. There will be some selectors’ ears burning over this.” “It is criminal that Atwood did not have to meet Warren to earn his place. The officials responsible for the composition of the squad knew that Canterbury was having a tournament this week-end and. as the matchmaker, I would have been delighted to have put them i on.” he said. I “Sure. Atwood has fought J (some good opponents.and is] , a capable boxer, but I think! I it i ■ fair to say that Warren’ !deserved another go in the I

-(light of his convincing win Ilin the trials,” Mr Drury ■'said. • The announcement of the slteam in Wellington yester'day ended weeks of confusion over whether a second (set of trials would be held [land, if so, at what venue, j Canterbury officials have I been baffled at the contrastling answers received to their enquiries. The team for the tournament comprises George i Stankovich (Auckland, heavy-weight), Arden Fatu ■((Waikato, light heavy- ( weight), Andrew Stankovich (Auckland, middle-weight), (Ron Jackson (Hutt Valley, light middle-weight), Fred Tafua (Auckland, welterweight), Grant Scaife (Hutt Valley, light welter-weight), Ray Smith (Otago, lightweight), and Atwood. One very pleasing aspect from Canterbury’s viewpoint was the appointment of Mr Ron Mitchel! as the trainer. Mr Mitchell is a long-serving boxing supporter, from his days as an active participant, in his association with the accomplished former New Zealand professional, Dion Murphy, and in the excellent] i work he has done with I amateur competitors. / [ The manager, and apparently also assistant trainer, lis Mr Lex Ashton (Timaru), (the son of the national selec- ] tion convener, Mr Syd AshI ton.