Boxing boss backs Edwards to stay

The chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association says he wants head coach Terry Edwards to carry on in his post.

GB's boxers won a gold and two bronzes during the Olympic Games, but Edwards' leadership has been criticised.

Frankie Gavin withdrew before the Games after failing to make the lightweight limit and Billy Joe Saunders was suspended for lewd behaviour.

But ABA chairman Keith Walters told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We want him to continue. He has proved to be a very good coach."

"Terry needs to take a huge amount of credit"
Team GB chief Simon Clegg

Britain's boxers have a mixed campaign at the Olympics.

Lightweight world amateur champion Gavin was withdrawn shortly before the start of the Games after failing to make his weight.

Allegations then followed of lewd behaviour of welterweight Saunders, believed to have taken place during a pre-Games training camp in France.

Edwards said at the time he was "extremely disillusioned" by the allegations and questioned the timing of the reports, which were released in the build-up to the gold medal fight involving James DeGale.

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However, DeGale claimed middleweight gold, and Britain picked up two bronzes thanks to super-heavyweight David Price and light-heavyweight Tony Jeffries.

Walters added: "It has been a fantastic achievement. You couldn't have asked for better.

"Terry's contract is up in March next year and we will sit down with him when he's come back and had a rest to talk about his future."

Despite Gavin's absence, Britain's boxers exceeded UK Sport's target of two medals of any colour and Team GB chief Simon Clegg praised the work of Edwards.

"I'm delighted for Terry," Clegg told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He needs to take a huge amount of credit for qualifying eight boxers to come to these Games.

"It's a massive step-up from the two boxers we had in Sydney to having only Amir Khan in Athens and then bringing seven boxers to Beijing and delivering a gold and two bronze."

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