By JERRIE ANDREWS
In his eyes, boxing saved his son from going off the rails.
Now newly-elected president of Boxing New Zealand, Tauranga's Barry Leabourn is repaying his debt to the sport.
Leabourn has been associated with boxing for the last 20 years. He has been on the Boxing New Zealand executive for nine years, is the high performance manager and his new role ensures he'll be part of the national amateur scene for a good while yet.
Leabourn was elected president after the weekend's boxing nationals in Lower Hutt and is already busy with preparation for next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
The new president had nothing but confidence in the New Zealand boxers gunning for Games selection.
"We are going to win medals. And this year we are aiming for a gold. We definitely have the potential to win a gold medal in one or two weight classes."
Leabourn highlighted the success of boxing at this year's Oceania championships in Papua New Guinea, where New Zealand boxers brought home six golds, including two to Tauranga fighters Justin Potter and Kelly Woolrich.
"We were aiming for two, so it was pretty good. It was the first year we've ever won more golds than Australia."
It's a busy road from here for Leabourn. This week he has been organising a team to fight against Australian boxers in Melbourne this weekend and accommodating for injuries that occurred at the nationals.
"After that we'll name a shadow team, probably in early November, and we'll name the Commonwealth Games team in either late December or early January."
Of the great effect the sport had on his son, Leabourn says: "He was ready to fall off the rails, but then he found boxing and it absolutely changed his life."
The new national president is thrilled with the growth of boxing locally. "Nine years ago there were no active boxing gyms in Tauranga. Now there are three and each one had people competing at the nationals.
"All the gyms are bursting at the seams with young people keen to box.
"Boxing has definitely become much stronger in Tauranga. It's always been considered a boxing town, and right now it's never been stronger. There's just huge interest."
Leabourn said both males and females were picking up the sport, and he was proud that Tauranga could boast New Zealand's best female boxer in Woolrich.
He dismissed calls from the New Zealand Medical Association, who this week suggested the sport should be banned after the recent death of an American professional. He said there was a big difference between US professional boxing and New Zealand amateur boxing, with all boxers here subject to medical checks before fights.
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