The retired boxer, a licensed pest control professional from Houston, Texas, built an Iraqi boxing team from scratch in two months as the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) chased long-shot slots on offer at the Athens Olympics.

The 11-member team as expected was a washout here at the Asian qualifying tournament for the Olympics - only one made the second round while two others lost in what their head coach described as "controversial" first round decisions.

But the ex-bruiser Watkins, known as the "Termite," insisted the experience was a positive one for the team.

"We didn't win any medals but we were victorious because we are here," the 47 year-old said as he and his boys cheered neighbors Syria in Saturday's finals at this western Philippine city, which hosted the first of three Asian qualifying tournaments.

"These fighters went from fighting out of fear of what may happen to their families. Now they're fighting for the love of the sport. And we thank God that we've been able to give them this opportunity."

After the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the next generation saw Iraq sending its youth to the frontlines and spending its oil wealth waging war - first against Iran, then Kuwait and finally two US-led coalitions until its ruler Saddam Hussein was toppled last year.

"In our country in the last 35 years no one was interested in anything except finding jobs to feed his family," said Muhawi Shibly, a furniture dealer from Basra who now doubles as the Iraqi boxing team manager.

Apart from a minor event in India in 1997, the 22nd Asian Boxing Championships here marked the first time Iraqi boxers had travelled outside their country after the Moscow Games.

While retreating into their shell, the Iraqis "have always been known for being good athletes. They had great footballers, boxers, wrestlers and bodybuilders," Watkins said.

Watkins was himself a former amateur featherweight boxing champ whose career highlights include membership in the mid-1970s US Olympic boxing team that featured future boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard, among others.

Watkins, however, turned pro shortly before the Montreal Olympics. He later lost his lone shot at a world title in a 1980 points decision to World Boxing Council junior welterweight defending champion Saul Mamby in 1980.

He hung up his gloves after injury to his favored right hand in 1991, married, had two children and earned a living killing termites.

Last April, a week before US forces toppled the Saddam statue in Baghdad, Watkins flew to the southern city of Basra as a pest control subcontractor for engineering and oil services company Halliburton's subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root.

He was later named a public affairs officer for the CPA in Baghdad, where senior CPA official Michael Gfoeller got wind of his pugilistic background and asked him to revive the country's boxing program.

"He asked me, 'What are the chances of putting together a team that can qualify for the Olympics?' I said 'Slim to none.' He said, 'Great, we have a chance. Let's do it.'"

Trainers and a national pool of boxers were hastily put together in a whirlwind two months, with a boot camp set up at Al-Hillah, near the capital, in a building that boasted a decrepit ring with a wooden floor and with one of four ropes missing.

"The CPA guys told us, 'We would give you all the money that you'll need to make this happen,'" Watkins recalled.

The team flew to the Philippines with one military escort for the American coach's own security.

Watkins plans to visit his wife and children in Houston over the next two weeks, after which it will be back to training camp for the Iraqis, who still hope to qualify via the China and Japan eliminators in March and April, respectively.

"We may even go to Germany or Spain to fight in the next month or so," he said.