Boxing: Pownceby goes against policy

Convicted killer Soulan Pownceby turned television comments man at the Commonwealth Games boxing arena last night.

Pownceby, jailed for the manslaughter of his five-month-old daughter Jeanette Rikihana, gave comments on television the fight of teammate Joe Blackbourne who lost his opening fight to Scotland's Kris Carslaw.

However the New Zealand Olympic Committee has a firm policy: compete at Olympic and Commonwealth Games and not engage in media work.

"It has happened, it should not have happened, and it will not be happening again," a NZ team spokesman told the Herald last night, adding that it happened through a miscommunication.

New Zealand boxer Soulan Pownceby, who was jailed for four years in 1995 for the manslaughter of his baby daughter, was last month cleared to fight at the Games. He needed authority from Australian immigration minister Amanda Vanstone confirming he is of good character.