9 Boxers Qualify For Athens

[pies4ever]

Nine boxers qualify for Athens
FoxSports
May 1, 2004

AUSTRALIA will field their largest ever team of pugilists at an overseas Olympics after nine boxers qualified for the Athens Games today.

Competing in ten of the 11 finals at the Oceania Championships in Nuku'alofa, Tonga today, the Australian contingent finished just short of a clean-sweep with Ben McEachran going down in a tight 81kg contest to New Zealander Soulan Pownceby.

But that was the only hiccup in an otherwise brilliant day for the Australians who'll now be largely based in Europe before the Games.

Burly West Australian Adam Forsyth (91kg) was amongst the most impressive, with the referee calling off the fight in the third round against Fijian Inia Vuli.

Others to shine included Bradley Hore (51kg), who qualified for the Australian Olympic team in 2000 only to fail to make the 48kg weight, and Anthony Little in the 60kg class.

Australia will go to Greece looking to improve on a dismal Olympic record of just two medals, the last – a silver – coming to Grahame 'Spike' Cheney in the light welterweight division in 1988.

While team manager Ron Pengelly was not talking up chances of breaking that 16-year medal drought just yet, he was encouraged by some good all-round performances.

"It's a bit hard to comment on where we are at compared to other countries but hopefully the results here and training camps we've got coming up in Europe will give the guys some confidence," Pengelly said.

Despite the results it wasn't all plain sailing with two Australian favourites failing to make it to Athens.

Two-time Olympian Richard Rowles was beaten in his 75kg bout by fellow Australian Jamie Pittman 17-8 while Manchester Commonwealth Games gold medallist Daniel Geale was a shock quarter-final loser in the 69kg division.

On the positive side, Rowles' absence may help to ensure smoother relations within the team, the Queenslander heading a group of Australian boxers in 2000 who had a major falling out with national coach Bodo Andreass.

AAP