BOXING TITLES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20023, 23 August 1939, Page 4

BOXING TITLES

GISBORNE NOMINEES INVEROA EGILL TOURNEY HEENEY AND T. DATY . For the New Zealand amateur boxing championship tournament, to be held in Invercargill on September 11, 12 and 13, the Gisborne Boxing Association -will nominate two representatives, Darcy Heeney and Tom Baty, in the welterweight and featherweight classes respectively. Nominations are not to close until a few days before the opening of the tournament, but form this season has definitely favoured the entry of Heeney and Baty, and it is now assured that they will go to Invercargill. Heeney will defend his welterweight title for the second time, and there seems to be a good chance of his retaining the championship of his class. The most dangerous of the opponents he faced last year, Woods, of North Auckland, is riot taking part in the tournament this year, and unless the new crop of welters yields a boy of more than average promise, the title should come back to Gisborne. Heeney won the welterweight division first in Greymouth, and, retained it last year in Gisborne.

Tom Baty, who emerged as a leading district amateur only last year, and was nominated by the Waikohu association for tile New Zealand championship tournament, is the only logical claimant from this district for the 1939 nomination. Last year W. Shaskey won the title of the featherweight class, giving Gisborne its second championship victory in that year. Shaskey will not be a competitor this year, however.

The two prospective entrants for 1939 are undergoing a rigorous course of training, realising that success in the tournament is dependent on endurance as much as on skill, and the Gisborne association has approved arrangements under which Heeney is being trained by Mr. C. Greig, and Baty by Mr. Tom Harris.