Coach on mat over fake papers

By AINSLEY THOMSON

A top boxing coach investigated for forging boxers' signatures to allow them to fight has been banned from coaching at national level.

Boxing New Zealand banned Cameron Todd, who once trained David Tua, after a month-long inquiry into forgeries on boxers' registrations.

Todd, who last year coached the New Zealand team at the Women's World Boxing Championship in the US, has been prohibited from belonging to or holding an official position in any organisation affiliated to Boxing New Zealand.

His club, the Auckland Central Boxing Association, has been fined and Todd, who is in his late 30s, cannot hold any official position in the club.

Keith Walker, chairman of the executive of Boxing NZ, said Todd admitted forging boxers' signatures on their declaration forms and made false declarations in their registration books.

The club will not say how much he has been fined but each offence carries a maximum penalty of $500.

Todd had been accused of forging a doctor's signature on medical certificates, but this was unproven, said Mr Walker.

Boxers must keep a registration book that is filled out before and after each fight. It contains a medical section that is completed by a registered doctor, and a declaration by the boxer stating personal details such as age, weight, experience and number of fights.

The book, known as the blue book, was described by one boxing official as "the bible of amateur boxing".

Contacted yesterday, Todd said he did not want to speak to the media.

David Gerrard, professor of sports medicine at Otago medical school and former Olympic team doctor, said such documents were important in preventing and managing head injuries in sports such as boxing.

"I would be very concerned that people in sport would consider doing this. And as a clinician I deem it a very serious infringement and would hope the sporting body concerned would take it seriously." Mr Walker said Boxing NZ was devastated at Todd's actions.

"The safety of boxers is paramount," he said. "The action taken by Cameron Todd in this incident has put that quite into jeopardy, and certainly puts some of the boxers at risk."

Gary McCrystal, who is chairman of the Auckland Boxing Association - a separate organisation to Todd's Auckland Central Boxing Association - said Todd's offences were among the most serious an official in the sport could commit.

"I sometimes wonder whether or not the police should be called in," he said.

Mr Walker said Todd, who was one of four national coaches in New Zealand last year, had been banned from national coaching because those positions were controlled by Boxing NZ.

However, it has not been decided whether his general coaching licence would be revoked.

That decision will soon be made by the Boxing Coaches Association, which has been advised about Boxing NZ's ruling.

Mr Walker said Todd's ban was indefinite, but could be reviewed.

He said it was worrying that Todd did not seem to have learned from his past dealings with Boxing NZ.

"How many times does he have to be reprimanded before he realises that he is not doing things in accordance with our rules and regulations?"

Cameron Todd: A brief history

* Discharged bankrupt.
* Works at the Boxing Central gym in Mt Eden.
* Trained Solomon Islands boxer Joseph Saimei, who ended up with head injuries and partly paralysed after being knocked out during a fight in 1996.
* Todd allegedly knew before the match that Saimei had a middle-ear infection and had been treated by a doctor for shock days before, but he did not inform the match doctor.
* Admitted in court assaulting Saimei's lawyer, Olinda Woodroffe. Todd was discharged without conviction.
* Suspended in 1998 while Boxing NZ investigated whether the records of Vanuatu boxer David Naru, who competed in a match while he was meant to have been stood down after a head injury, were altered.
* Cleared of this charge.