Change of plans for Olympic boxers

Press, 19 June 1984, Page 34

Change of plans for Olympic boxers

JOHN COFFEY

The pre-Games preparations of New Zealand’s Olympic boxers, Kevin Barry jun. and Michael Kenny, have had to be drastically changed only six weeks before competition begins in Los Angeles.

Plans for Barry and Kenny to train at a United States Air Force sports academy in Colorado were abandoned when satisfactory arrangements could not be made. The two boxers and their manager-trainer, Kevin Barry sen., were to have left for Colorado early next week, but will now stay in this country before travelling to Los Angeles with other members of the New Zealand Olympic team on July 14.

Everything appeared to be smoothly falling into place until a telex was received late last week from the prominent United States boxing coach, Ed Weichers, expressing regret that the younger Barry and Kenny could not be guaranteed “ring time” at the air force academy. Mr Weichers was recently in Christchurch conducting a coaching seminar and was confident that Barry and Kenny would be accommodated in Colorado.

Obtaining quality sparring is a traditional problem

for New Zealand boxing representatives about to embark on important missions at overseas venues. The shortage of skilled opponents is particularly evident in the heavier divisions — Barry is the Commonwealth and Oceania light heavyweight champion and Kenny holds similar titles in the heavyweight class.

The bad news from Mr Weichers led to hurried consultations between national boxing officials, and an alternative approach has been quickly mapped out.

What might be termed “plan B” requires Kenny, from Wellington, to join the Barry father-and-son combination in Christchurch within the next few days. After some preliminary work the small contingent will move on to Auckland for two weeks before departure for Los Angeles. The third stage is another twoweek period in the Games city before the start of the Olympic tournament. “I am disappointed that we have peen let down,”

said Mr Barry yesterday. “But I am not over-worried about it, and don’t want to blame Ed (Weichers) — I am sure he did his best for us.”

The new build-up seems to be the best available, at least at such short notice. Mr Barry is encouraged that his son will be able to spar with Alex Sua, the Australasian professional light heavyweight champion.

“In many ways it is a familiar situation, even though this is the big one. There was virtually no team preparation before all of our other trips in the last year or two.”

“What we most need is ring time, and that is available in Auckland. I know that we will be 100 per cent ready when the Games start. The time together will be ample,” he said. The other perennial hurdle is a lack of knowledge of the opposition. Not that Mr Barry believes it will be much easier after the withdrawals of the powerful Russian, Cuban

and East German squads. “I am not yet convinced that the Africans intend to go, either — but more than 140 countries have entered and many of them are strong in boxing,” he said.

The draw is another imponderable. It is not to be made until the weigh-ins each morning preceding the evening bouts.

Two North Americans, however, have caught Mr Barry’s eye in the classes in which New Zealand will be represented. He agreed that the Canadian, Willie de Witt, must be heavily favoured for the heavyweight gold medal, and that Ricky Womack will be a top light heavyweight contender if he is chosen by the United States.

Womack recently reversed two previous losses by beating the Cuban title-holder at a world invitation tournament in New York. But both Barrys have the psychological advantage of having seen Womack decisively beaten by a Russian rival at the World Cup in Rome last November.