Commonwealth Games hopeful Angus Donaldson is set to headline the Manawatu Boxing Championships at Queen Elizabeth College gymnasium tomorrow afternoon.

Donaldson is in need of some extra bouts before the team for the New Delhi games is announced shortly and the Manawatu lightweight will be keen to show his wares.

Manawatu Boxing Association president Billy Meehan said they were trying to find a worthy opponent for the 22-year-old Massey University student.

"We are doing our best to get him a fight, he will probably have to step up a weight division to get a bout," Meehan said. "Because it is an open championship people can turn up and match him on the day."

A number of fighters are coming from around the North Island, along with a small team of novices from Christchurch.

Good numbers have signalled the popularity of the event to Meehan.

"On the nominations we've got in so far, we're expecting somewhere around the 20-25 bouts," he said.

While the event is called the Manawatu championships, two divisions are being run; a novice and an open division where anyone can attend.

Weigh-ins are done on the day, and because its an open competition, boxers can arrive then.

The tournament is an opportunity for local fighters to be selected for the Manawatu team which is named next month. They will compete at the New Zealand nationals at the end of September.The Manawatu Boxing Association are also looking at holding another amateur tournament either in October or November after the Commonwealth Games.The first fight gets under way at 2.30pm tomorrow

- © Fairfax NZ News