BOXING WEST COAST TEAM COMPLIMENTED ON ACHIEVEMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1948, Page 8

BOXING WEST COAST TEAM COMPLIMENTED ON ACHIEVEMENTS

Members of the West Coast boxing team who competed at the New Zealand championship tournament at Dunedin this year were entertained at a gathering of .members of the Grey Boxing Association and other sports bodies at Greymouth last evening. A presentation was made to each of the boxers and their z trainer, Mr J. Finlay. ' . ’ ' Th president of the association, Mr A. Beban, who presented M. and V. Tuck with wristlet watches, congratulated them on winning national titles, and referred to the record set by V. Tuck as being the youngest competitor to win the light-weight title and to the' fact that M. Tuck, who had won the middelweight title after being defeated in the welterweight class, was the lightest middleweight to win. The performance of the two brothers was unique, he said.

Opportunity Lost In presenting B. Eder and R. Wilson with fountain pens, Mr Beban said that Wilson had been runner-up in the light heavyweight division this year, having defeated last year’s middleweight champion, R. Chooque, after only three previous ring appearances. Eder had been runnerup in the lightweight class the previous year, and had subsequently been invited to meet J. Jenkins, of Auckland, in a match at Wellington in connection with the selection of boxers to represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games. Eder had been unable to accept the invitation on account of an injured hand, he said, and had so lost a splendid opportunity. • A crystal bowl was presented to the team’s trainer, Mr Finlay, of Greymouth, and Mr Beban praised him for his long and enthusiastic association with the spfirt. His untiring efforts and faith in his young boxers had borne fruit during the last two seasons, he said. Travelled 3740 Miles " Mr Finlay and the members of the team briefly replied. It was pointed out that they have travelled 3740 miles to appear in various South Island tournaments between March and October this year while making only one appearance on the West Coast. There was an attendance of 60 at the function, at which a number of toasts was honoured. Among those present were Messrs A. Agnew (Rugby), N. Messenger (Rugby League), L. P. Coffey (hockey and cricket), F. W. Baillie (bowls), D. G. Moore (indoor basketball) and F. Costello (swimming).