Beijing Olympian becomes pimp as he lacks funding for 2012 London Olympics

WELLINGTON - New Zealand taekwondo practitioner Logan Campbell has turned to pimping after his funds dried up, and his chances at making the London Olympics in 2012 looked slim.

Campbell, 23, joined hands with business partner Hugo Phillips, 20, last week, and launched a “high-class gentleman’s club” (read brothel) near Auckland’s infamous K Rd.

Campbell, who finished in the top 16 in the featherweight division at Beijing, after losing his first match against reigning world champion Yu-Chi Sung, of Taiwan, hopes to get to London off the earnings of prostitution.

He said that Sung was a “movie star” in his home country, and “never has to worry about funding”.

His 2008 Olympic campaign had cost 150,000 dollars, and Campbell hoped to raise the 300,000 dollars that he estimated he would need for the 2012 Olympics

Most of the money came from his parents, with his father, Max, an auctioneer, working two jobs to get his son to the Olympics.

Campbell said that he was sick of being a burden on his parents, which is why he planned on taking two years off from taekwondo in order to work full time before returning to training in 2011.

He believes with that kind of money behind him, he will be a serious medal prospect.

But his unorthodox fundraising plan has not gone down well with his national body.

TNZ funding manager John Schofield said that although it would not affect his membership, it would be taken into account when considering him for international selection.

“Selection takes into account not just performance but also the athlete’s ability to serve as an example to the youth of the country,” the NZPA quoted him as saying.

The new club, named 25 Cross St, opened this month and is one of the country’s biggest with 14 rooms.

Phillips put up some of the money, and the building owner also helped with finance.

“Mum was hesitant but she met the girls, a couple came over to her house and she was sweet as. She realised they were just normal people supporting their kids and stuff,” Campbell said.

Phillips, an Auckland University of Technology accounting graduate, said that his parents, both lawyers, were not so keen.

Convinced that the sex industry was riddled with criminals and gangsters, his criminal lawyer mother, did not approve.

“I’ll be representing you in court if you continue with this,” she had said.

Campbell said that he was not a pimp in the traditional sense, and described his establishment as an escort agency.

“When people think of a pimp they think of a guy standing around on a street corner with gold chains. Pimps are more tough-type guys. I’m an owner of an escort agency,” he said. (ANI)