London 2012 taekwondo hopeful opens brothel to pay his way

AT least Logan Campbell won't need to employ any bouncers at his new business.

BUSINESS PLAN: New Zealand's Logan Campbell (r) hopes to raise enough fund to get to London 2012 by opening a brothel

So cash-strapped is the 23-year-old New Zealand taekwondo champion that he has decided to open a brothel in Auckland in order to fund his quest to reach London 2012.

Campbell's Beijing Olympic quest cost him in the region of £58,000 - the vast majority of which he was forced to borrow from his parents.

The Kiwi finished inside the top 16 in Beijing, having lost to eventual featherweight bronze medallist Sung Yu-Chi of Taiwan.

But if he is to be a genuine medal contender at London 2012, it's going to cost Campbell approximately £116,000 - and the New Zealander wants to raise that money himself.

For those of you who consider his methods inappropriate, never fear, even his mother approves - once she had met her son's new employees that is, and after all, prostitution was decriminalised in New Zealand six years ago.

 "Mum was hesitant but she met the girls, a couple came over to her house and she was sweet as," said Campbell.

"She realised they were just normal people supporting their kids and stuff.

"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.

"Some people on the team will not think highly of me for doing this. If they saw this place and how it's operated, they'd change their mind."

But the news has not gone down all that well at Taekwondo New Zealand and funding manager John Schofield said the governing body of the sport in the country would have to consider whether Campbell was suitable 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," Schofield said.

But who better to set an example to the youth of the country than a muscle-bound pimp, adept at kicking people's heads in?