(OCT 14) It always was a
contentious decision to remove headguards but the AIBA are in no
doubt and fully intend to carry out their previous decision
irrespective of the many comments and expert views that beg to
differ. That is clear from a decision confirmed in Doha this
week at the 2015 AIBA Elite World Championships.
In a second part to this article we will be hearing the views of
an expert in boxing injuries, concussions and the law but first
this is what the AIBA have decided.
“The International Boxing Association has finalised a new
initiative designed to nurture boxing careers. Based upon the
four core pillars of sport, health, education and
sustainability, the HeadsUp! charter is formally unveiled at the
AIBA 2015 World Boxing Championships in Doha.
“It is essential that AIBA fulfils its duty to provide a strong,
secure framework within which boxers can develop and excel from
grassroots to pro competition,” said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo
Wu.“HeadsUp! will now be adopted by the world’s boxing
federations to help all of our athletes enjoy stable futures in
their sport.”
With health as its primary focus, AIBA Medical Commission has
worked behind the scenes at the principal boxing competitions in
2015, concluding in Doha with HeadsUp! workshops conducted with
referees and training sessions with coaches to better educate
their boxers in the prevention of cuts and concussions.
The removal of headguards in men’s competitions came in the
light of the commission’s study of 11,000 AIBA bouts around the
world. The Almaty 2013 World Championships, the first without
headguards for 30 years, showed a decrease in the number of
concussions compared to the Baku competition in 2011.
To maintain the improvements, bringing a change in training
methods to literally keep boxers’ heads raised during bouts was
imperative. “Since being introduced in 1984, headguards have
brought a psychological as well as physical cushion that has led
to a passive style of boxing,” says Dr Khadri of the AIBA
Medical Commission. “We need to teach the correct way to box
with a better stance – heads up – and that requires ongoing
education of boxers and referees.”
President of the Asian Boxing Confederation, Mr. Serik
Konakbayev, became the first to sign the charter during his
visit to the Doha World Championships. “As President of the ASBC
I am very proud that we are the first AIBA confederation to sign
this important charter, and I would like to congratulate the
President of the Qatar Boxing Federation, Mr Yousef Ali Al Kazim,
on being the first Asian federation to sign its support of this
important initiative for the future of boxing and the health of
boxers,” said Mr Konakbayev.
Today AIBA formally released its HeadsUp! charter to the
international boxing federations during the competition in Doha,
when it will be shared with all 196 national federations around
the globe.
So there you have it – the AIBA intends to proceed as planned
BUT will the International Olympic Committee authorise them to
proceed without headgear in the 2016 Rio Olympics? In part two
we give you Pros and Cons but the IOC will most assuredly have
the final decision on Rio though not on other International
Boxing tournaments.
Women may well follow suite as early as 2016 but more likely in
2017 though again one wonders if it is safe NOW for men why NOT
for women?
