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Saunders: Suspended
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Olympic boxer Billy Joe Saunders has returned home to find he has been suspended by the Amateur Boxing Association - a move Team GB have blasted as detrimental to his team-mates still in Beijing fighting for medals.
18-year-old Saunders was knocked out of the Olympic boxing tournament after being beaten by well-fancied Cuban welterweight Carlos Banteaux last Thursday.
Saunders has returned home to discover he has been suspended by the ABA and told there would be a hearing into allegations of lewd behaviour during a pre-Games training camp in France.
With the news coming out just 24 hours after James Degale confirmed a third British medal in the ring - the best Olympic result for 36 years - Team GB officials in Beijing have not been pleased with the timing.
Focus
Degale, light heavyweight Tony Jeffries and super heavyweight David Price will all win at least a bronze in Beijing and boxing coach Terry Edwards has slammed the ABA for suspending Saunders.
"My focus over the next 48 hours is to prepare my three boxers for their semi-final bouts tomorrow," Edwards said in a statement.
"The allegations made in the media about the conduct of athletes on the British Boxing Programme are, on the whole, unfounded.
"I feel extremely disillusioned that I have learnt of the suspension of one of my boxers from the media.
"Above all though, I am so sad that this, together with the other allegations made, have been raised to distract and unsettle me, the coaching team, and more importantly my boxers ahead of the most important bouts of their lives."
Timing
Team GB Chef de Mission Simon Clegg also said that the move by the ABA, and the timing of the suspension being made public could only harm the British boxers fighting for golds.
"The Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) choosing to yesterday (Wednesday) issue Billy Joe Saunders with a suspension relating to an incident which happened months before the Beijing Olympic Games is extremely disappointing," said Clegg.
"Releasing such allegations to the media at this time could prove detrimental to the critical preparations of the other three boxers who will be contesting to reach the final of the boxing competition tomorrow.
"We are frustrated that our athletes and the boxing coaching team will have to deal with this added pressure and distraction at this point in the Games.
"Nobody involved with boxing should be distracting the team at this time."
