Britain's boxers must show their mettle to retain funding

Britain's boxers must show their mettle to retain funding

Britain's elite amateurs are among the best funded athletes at the Olympic Games.

Britain's boxers must show their mettle to retain funding
Down and out: Bradley Saunders (left) of Great Britain looks dejected after losing to Alexis Vastine of France Photo: Getty Images

Packages worth £50k a year are provided to ensure the best possible preparation for the Games. You can't argue with the results. Britain qualified eight boxers for Beijing, seven more than Athens, six more than Sydney.

So what is going on? Bradley Saunders went down without a fight against an opponent he pummeled six months ago at the World Championships in Chicago then said he was pleased to be going home.

Two days before the Olympic Flame was lit our best hope for gold, world lightweight champion Frankie Gavin, decided to quit because he couldn't make the weight? I beg your pardon. It was Gavin's duty to make the weight. That is why UK Sport ploughs seven figures annually into the amateur code.

Will Gavin and Saunders be asked to pay their money back? I doubt it. Gavin is already making plans to turn pro. Might his stock have been devalued had he not won gold? It was a question flying around the Olympic village when the news of his exit dropped.

Great Britain coach Terry Edwards must be pulling his hair out. He put his reputation on the line defending Gavin's decision not to box. The following comments by Saunders are indefensible

"It's a big weight off my shoulders now I know I haven't got a medal. It's been brilliant coming here but there's so much pressure with the training and not seeing my family.

"Anyone who works away from home will tell you they don't like being away. I never did any of this for myself; I did it for my family. Now I can live a normal boy's life for a while and have a little time off."

The amateur body in England has transformed the fortunes of the sport since Amir Khan won silver on peanuts in 2004. They deserved better than Saunders gave them in return.

Saunders is 24. A man. Shame he didn't fight like one.

At least light heavyweight Tony Jeffries did Britain proud, edging a tight contest on a count back. And no shame attaches to Saunders' name sake 18-year-old Billy Joe, who went out on his shield.