AMATEUR BOXING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26542, 18 August 1947, Page 8

AMATEUR BOXING

Sir,—” Championship, writing of an ? a teur boxing, wishes to know how the Otago Boxing Association can expect the boys to do justice to themselves and the public when they have had no encouragement to do so. lam afraid Champion ship” has a very short memory The Otago Boxing Association is to b e f°n gratulated on its efforts to amateur boxing in Otago d, ‘ ri "2 tbe boxing season Our open and novice class boys have had an opportunity on 10 occasions to appear in contests that have been staged by the associat on. The pre liminaries to all professional contests that have been staged this season have been supplied by local amateurs. They were engaged in contests against teams from Christchurch and the West Coast; they also travelled to Wellington and Christchurch to take part in return contests, a team was sent at the expense of the Otago Boxing Association to Balclutha; and a team was brought from the Str ath-Taiert to take part in an open and novice torn nev The Waironga Shield (now held by Otago), to be competed for between teams from Canterbury and Otago only, is now open to challenge from any assossiyw*** ?&£ b °WhenTt is decided by the Otago Association to hold a tournament the Otago Boxing Trainers' Asspciation, one of the strongest of its kind in New Zealand. is notified, asking for a date suitable to them and calling for entries. If the trainers consider that thelr boys are not far enough advanced in their tuition, and sufficient entries would not be foi incoming for the tourney, it would be abandoned through no cause of the Ota<,o Boxing Association. Our boys do not need to travel outside Dunedin to take part in contests. When they do travel they 1 do so at the request of those associations who at times are unable to complete their programmes without the aia of Otago boxers Our boys have helped outside associations out of many difficulties. We are shortly sending a team to Waimate and Temuka, and the Oamaru Boxing Association has asked us to provide a team of Dunedin boxers to take part in contests against a team of West Coast boxers. I hope I have enlightened "Championship” on this matter, and if he is in doubt in future about anything pertaining to the amateur side of boxing, I give him a hearty invitation to come ’ along to the Otago Boxing Association gymnasium, where he will receive firsthand information from Otaeo's foremost boxing instructors.—l am, etc., Tom Harris, Secretary Otago Boxing Trainers' Association.