(JULY 16) The 2015
multi-sports Pacific Games have been taking place since early
July in Port Moresby and the historic boxing tournament has now
reached the finals weekend in the PNG capital.
Insofar as the boxing is concerned, proceedings started Tuesday
14 July 2015, when boxers from the Oceania region entered the
fray.
This year’s Pacific Games is yet
another milestone for women boxers, as they will compete in the
boxing event for the very first time in history of the Games.
AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu said: “This is another step
forward for the development of women’s boxing in this part of
the world and a historic moment for AIBA. Women’s boxing is now
taking place in every continent and I’m confident this
competition will continue to showcase the best of men and women
boxing in Oceania.”
As we have reported here on WBAN the key moment for women in
AIBA ‘amateur’ boxing came when it was added to the London 2012
Olympic Games programme. Since 2012, women’s boxing has been
featured at other multi-sport events, like the 2014 Commonwealth
Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and at the recent 2015 European
Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“We have great nations with true boxing heritage participating
in Port Moresby and I am expecting top-notch boxing
performances, especially from the teams of Tahiti, New Caledonia
and Nauru, who dominated largely the medal count in in the
latest edition of the Games”, said Oceania Boxing Confederation
President Mr. Ted Tanner.
Alas as in London 2012 and most other major International
occasions to date ,women are only competing in the three Olympic
weight categories, while the men will fight at 10 different
weight classes. The three women’s weight classes added to the
program are the 51 kg, 60 kg and 75 kg categories. A modest step
forward was achieved when there were five weights at the
inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan earlier this month.
WBAN welcomes the addition of the three weights in Port Moresby
but will continue to press the strong claims for a minimum of
five weights at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. That would be
the minimum acceptable and as we have long said, there must be
EQUALITY with men by the 2024 Games. The AIBA continues to say
it is continuing to press the International Olympic Committee
will not allow this since they do not wish to increase the
number of athletes overall nor do they wish to increase the
number of boxers from the present 286.
This may or may not be entirely accurate but WBAN’s view remains
that if indeed there is a ‘ban’ on increasing numbers then the
most obvious answer is to increase the number of women at the
expense of two men’s weights. Unpopular to be sure especially
among the male dominated AIBA organisation and no doubt but much
pressure is being applied by countries where the male boxers
reign supreme but their females are not near the top of the
podium, at least for now and probably not for many years to
come.
WBAN is sure that IOC President Thomas Bach and AIBA Chief Dr
Ching-Kuo Wu do not need reminding of the Olympic Charter and
Oath. Dr Wu continues as he has always done to press the case
for more women’s weights according to AIBA Press Releases and we
do accept these assurances thus can only believe that it is the
powerhouse male boxing countries that are ‘ blocking’ his aims.
As of now there is no female boxing champions for example in
Cuba whilst some other countries though it exists it is not yet
at same level as the men.
As in other Multisports boxing events, the ten men weight
classes in the Pacific Games are: 49 kg, 52 kg, 56 kg, 60 kg, 64
kg, 69 kg, 75 kg, 81 kg, 91 kg and 91+ kg.
Women’s boxing made its historic entry today where the
semi-finals of the women’s Flyweight (51 kg), Lightweight (60
kg) and Middleweight (75 kg) weight classes were scheduled.
Federated States of Micronesia are fighting in their first ever
Pacific Games boxing, and Jennifer Chieng won a brilliant
semi-final bout for her nation against women’s Lightweight (60
kg) gold medal favourite Hatara Lahana Ioane.
Papua New Guinea’s Philo Magaiva then dominated Nauru’s Rachelle
Bonillo in their semi-final, and she will now meet Tahiti’s
Taraina Rataro-Tuihaa for the gold medal tomorrow.
Fact of the day:
The following nations have thus far secured guaranteed medals in
the 2015 Pacific Games:
Papua New Guinea: 11 guaranteed medals
Tahiti: 10 medals
Nauru: 5 medals
Samoa: 4 medals
Fiji, North Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu: 3 medals
Tonga: 2 medals
Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Kiribati and Tuvalu: 1
medal
Tomorrow’s program:
The fourth competition day will contains 21 bouts, including the
three women’s finals at Flyweight (51 kg), Lightweight (60 kg)
and Middleweight (75 k)
