Top Olympic prospect misses chance due to cruellest of cuts

AUSTRALIA’S best chance for a medal at next year’s Olympic Games has been ruled out — because somebody forgot to buy a ten cent nut and bolt from Bunnings.

Satali Tevi-Fuimaono, new boxing junior world champion training at Umina PCYC.

AUSTRALIA’S best chance for a medal at next year’s Olympic Games has been controversially ruled out — because somebody forgot to buy a 10c nut and bolt from Bunnings.

Satali Tevi-Fuimaono’s misfortune started two weeks ago at the national titles at Paradise Point Bowling Club in Queensland.

Organisers laid plyboard across the bowling greens and secured them with metal plates at the corners.

Shortly after arriving at the venue Tevi-Fuimaono was walking across the plyboard flooring when it flexed under his weight because it was not properly secured.

A nut and bolt was missing from one corner.

It meant when the plyboard flexed down under his weight a corner of the metal plate was exposed, slicing Tevi-Fuimaono’s toe.

Six stitches were needed to sew his toe back together yet, for reasons still to be satisfactorily explained, Tevi-Fuimaono was still pressed to fight.

Boxing Australia officials then doubled up their error, ignoring an appeal from NSW Boxing officials to allow the 18-year-old to participate in this weekend’s box-offs, leaving the organisation defending allegations of negligence and facing a potentially huge Occupational Health and Safety lawsuit.

Tevi-Fuimaono won gold at the World Junior Championships two years ago as a 16-year-old.

He was entered into the Australian titles by Boxing Australia after the NSW titles fell before he could turn 18 earlier this year.

NSW’s Daniel Lewis eventually won the titles and will now box-off against Queensland’s Clay Waterman, also a former junior world champion, in Melbourne this weekend.

Tevi-Fuimaono has beaten Waterman all three times they have fought yet was denied the chance to challenge Lewis for the Olympic berth.

“He was declared fit to box by the doctor at the venue and he decided to box,” Boxing Australia president Ted Tanner said.

Given the injury Tevi-Fuimaono’s trainer Joel Keegan asked if they could be ruled unfit and included in the box-offs

“We asked if we could withdraw and participate in the box-offs and we were told that we could, but the evidence they were receiving from the doctor was that he was fit to box,” Keegan said.

“So how does that look for our chances of getting to the box-off?”

Tournament supervisor Wayne Rose said: “That would be dependant on the selection committee.”

Given the doctor’s ruling and it’s unspoken advice, Tevi-Fuimaono’s decided to fight and was advised to take pain killers over the three days of the tournament.

“The doctor told us we could take painkillers but it’s a three-day tournament,” Keegan said. “The pain was going to be worse the next day and worse the day after and boxing is all about pushing off your toes.

“I asked the doctor what sort of painkillers he could take for that and he said Panadeine Forte. I said ‘What, the ones that put you to sleep?’

“The doctor then said he could take panadol. We felt cornered about what we were supposed to do.”

Just the fact the tournament doctor was recommending painkillers should indicate to the authority that Tevi-Fuimaono was not in a fit state to box.

Tevi-Fuimanono’s family is now considering legal action under OHS grounds.

After the tournament NSW Boxing officials appealed, seeking to get Tevi-Fuimaono into this weekend’s box-off in Melbourne.

Shortly after a letter arrived from Boxing Australia chief executive Paul Grogan, saying “after careful consideration of each weight category in respect of reason for entry of boxers, is of the view there is no exceptional circumstance or reason that justifies the inclusion in the box-offs of any boxers other than the Australian Champion and Runner-Up in each Olympic weight category.”

It is hard to believe what circumstances could be more exceptional than a fighter cutting his foot open and requiring six stitches due to no fault of his own.

Asked how such an injury caused at an event run by Boxing Australia did not constitute “exceptional circumstances”, Tanner refused to explain Boxing Australia’s decision.

“I’ve got no comment to make on that, I’m not a medical doctor,” he said.

Originally published as Top Olympic prospect misses chance due to cruellest of cuts