W Samoa boxers grab gold

WESTERN Samoa broke Australia and New Zealand’s traditional stranglehold upon the annual Oceania Amateur Boxing Championships by capturing two gold medals at this year’s tournament in Port Vila; light middle weight Bob Casio and super heavy weight Emelio Led both gaining decis ive points decisions over Kiwi and Aussie opponents in their respective finals.

Host Vanuatu was delighted to capture a first ever silver medal and the young, inexperienced Solomon Islands squad fully deserved the same reward after a series of impressive showings.

Papua New Guinea took home two silvers, but must have felt it should have done better.

Fiji’s failure to provide a finalist largely reflected the strength of profes sional boxing there with fighters now joining the paid ranks after only the briefest amateur experience.

Tonga’s morale received a battering when the highly rated Peaa Wolfgramm was declared ineligible to compete on the tournament’s eve due to “residential ineligibility”. He had not lived in the Kingdom for the previous six months. Nonetheless, the team’s Australian coach, Cameron Todd, had every reason to state on the finals night that he was “encouraged by the boys’ performances and thrilled we got a bronze medal”. Disappointingly, Cook Islands, Guam and American Samoa were unable to send teams. □