Terry Edwards backed to keep his job

Terry Edwards's hope of turning Britain into the top boxing nation at the London Olympics in 2012 has received a significant boost from Olympic chief Simon Clegg.

Despite masterminding Britain's most successful Olympics in the ring since 1956, with James DeGale winning gold and Tony Jeffries and David Price claiming bronze, Edwards faces an inquiry by the Amateur Boxing Association.

Factions within the ABA want the 65-year-old ousted and the ABA's suspension of Billy Joe Saunders for alleged lewd behaviour at a training camp before the Games was seen as a shot at Edwards.

But Clegg said: "Terry needs to take a huge amount of the credit for having seven boxers at these games. That's a massive step up from the single boxer who qualified in Athens."

Confusion still reigns over just who within the ABA chose the eve of the Olympic finals to reveal that Saunders had been suspended.

Keith Walters, chairman of the ABA, insisted: "I certainly had no idea this was being released and I'm sure the chief executive, Paul King, never did."