Boxing: Pownceby set for Games

New Zealand boxing coach Phil Shatford believes light heavyweight Soulan Pownceby is in the best physical shape of his career.

Pownceby, New Zealand's only competitor to qualify from the Oceania championships to fight in the Athens Olympics, will be in action on the first day of the boxing tournament on August 14.

"Since his fight with the Australian, he's really come on," Shatford said.

Pownceby stopped Queenslander Rudi Suchanek in the fourth round of their bout in Christchurch a month ago before returning to Tahiti to continue his games preparation.

"The ideal would have been to have another fight under his belt but we just had to take what was offered. It was fortunate that fight was offered by Canterbury, otherwise we would have been struggling," Shatford said.

The victory over Suchanek was Pownceby's only fight between qualifying for the Olympics at the Oceania championships in Tonga on May 1 and stepping into the ring at Athens.

"Obviously, getting back to Tahiti was a good move to get out of the media spotlight again," Shatford said.

"Soul is in the best shape I can get him in. It's just a matter of fine-tuning him now. We've just been working on his speed and defence.

"We don't want too much hard sparring. You only need a cut eye or a rib injury and it's all over."

Shatford has reservations about any lasting emotional effects of the media storm which erupted after Pownceby's selection was confirmed.

It was simultaneously disclosed that the boxer had been convicted in 1995 of the manslaughter of his five-month-old daughter.

"I hope his mind is back where it was before the media thing. No one knows how much it has affected him," Shatford said.

The two-man New Zealand boxing contingent, comprising competitor and coach, hopes to link up with the Australians, who are not due to arrive in Athens until August 9.

"In terms of working out, it can be difficult having only one boxer. But sometimes it is probably better to have only one. You can give him your full attention," Shatford said.

Pownceby will not discover the identity of his first opponent until the draw is made, only a day or so before he competes. There are 28 entrants in the light heavyweight division.

Pownceby and Shatford leave for Athens today.

- NZPA