South Island Golden Gloves female featherweight champion Cherine Henry lost her first-round fight against Chrisell Small of Feilding on Thursday.
Henry was fighting in the bantamweight division. She was beaten on a points decision, 17-9.
Otago Boxing Association president Colin Falloon said Henry did her best.
He said she had an unusual style and perhaps the judges did not think her punches were hard enough.
Falloon said while Henry was disappointed to lose, she would learn a lot from this experience.
Bridget Morton, fighting in the flyweight division, came up against a formidable opponent in former national champion Lloyds Scully, from Canterbury.
Morton was no match for the experienced Scully, who had fought overseas on many occasions. She was beaten on a points decision, 22-9.
Falloon said Morton showed a ton of courage in her fight and never gave in.
He said while it was disappointing to see all five Otago boxers eliminated in the first round, their spirits were still high.
"Sure we are disappointed but the experience we have gained will be invaluable."
Falloon said the boxers had to be exposed at this level so they could see what they needed to work on.
He said the contribution manager Billy Eckhold and his wife had made towards the team was immeasurable
The Otago team will remain in Lower Hutt for today's finals and will return to Dunedin tomorrow.
