Boxing Should Be Banned From Next Games, Australian Medical Association

[Lisa]

The dangerous sport of boxing should be purged from the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today.
As Melbourne and the nation bask in post-Commonwealth Games glory, Dr Haikerwal says now is the time to ban boxing – well before the next Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in 2008, and the next Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, in 2010.
“A competition in which the winner is determined either by delivering a greater number of blows to his opponent or by literally knocking his opponent senseless is no sport,” Dr Haikerwal says.
“Boxing has damaging health effects, both immediate and over the longer term. The potential for serious injury was evident in some of the mis-matched bouts at the Melbourne Games.
“International events based on a spirit of goodwill - such as Olympic and Commonwealth Games - are no place for interpersonal violence and injury.

FULL ARTICLE

Boxing has been an Olympic Sport officially since 1908. The Australian Medical Association has been lobbying for a ban on Boxing in the Olympics since 1983 because of the death rates.

My question is, after reading this news release and the high amount of deaths directly related to boxing around the world, do you believe that boxing does not emulae the spirit of goodwill that the games personify? Do you agree with the proposed ban and if this does happen what other sports will be banned next?

 

[Marginal]

Boxing's one of the formative sports that carried over from one Olypmic tradition to the new movement. What would replace it? One of those exciting sports that nobody seems to play, but still manages to get added to the roster? Slip n' slide plus leafblower curling perhaps. Maybe an exciting session of sail racing, or competitive paint drying... There are endless possibilities.

 

[Lisa]

I realise it is a dangerous sport. Most sports have a danger factor to them. Take the skeletal event in the winter olympics! 100 miles an hour on a teenie tiny sled! OMG, you have to be nuts! Now THAT is dangerous...oh wait, they wear a helmet so it must be safe!

 

[Hand Sword]

I say keep boxing! The boxing deaths occur in pro fights. They wear protective gear in the olympics. Not much death there.

 

[Blindside]

If you ban boxing on those grounds you would also have to ban Olympic TKD, one study noted that it has a higher concussion rate than college football.

Lamont

 

[Rich Parsons]

I think we should ban all contact. Including the ban of people coming in contact for any reason. (* Note this includes those trying to create a new generation. *) This way everyone will be safe. I also think we should ban the impact of air molecules.

Oh wait you mean I have to be reasonable when I make my demands?

Hmmm, one must use judgement and decide what is good and what is bad, and this may change over time.

Are the Olympics for the spirit or brotherhood? Or are they competition?

I am not sure where this would lead. I mean people drown all year long from swimming or in water. They dive in the pool and people get hurt diving. I thought as others stated that head gear was worn during a fight? Does this reduce the rate of deaths? Are the deaths from direct impacts or complications from impacts over time?

I could see our gentler kinder society leaning this way. Yet, I hope it does not.

 

[MartialIntent]

I think we should ban all contact. Including the ban of people coming in contact for any reason. (* Note this includes those trying to create a new generation. *) This way everyone will be safe. I also think we should ban the impact of air molecules.

I think that's the key point right there. Folk are afraid of boxing and afraid of fighting. That's why we have the fantastic fighting art of TKD practised in the sterile, diluted Olympic form and it's why boxing was always gonna be a target on both the Olympic and Commonwealth Committees "axis of evil".

These are knee-jerk dictates of wet liberals and unfortunately it's an increasingly prevalant reflection of the beliefs of the wider society. It's to the detriment of the true sporting nature of these games that the members of the governing committees are often riddled with ulterior motivation and act not for the greater good but from a position of insular self-centeredness. What do these bureaucrats really know of sport in the bigger sense? Little I'd suggest.

For me, there's a bigger issue here and it's the feminization / de-masculinization of the fighting arts as a whole - and I use those terms per the dictionary definition rather than wishing to offend sensibilities, because, this attitude is permeated by men and women alike. I think it's an attitude that fighting is bad. Period. It's an attitude that to engage in a fight or encourage support by watching it is to declare oneself a barbarian. And it further acts to dismiss the inherent nobility of boxing as a sport [for both women and men]. Boxers are impeccably trained and conditioned, contest willingly and do not fight with the aim of damage infliction but rather of genuine sportsmanship. This is plainly evidenced at the end of any fight. I'd be interested to know how the boxing community is actually represented on the board of these committees.

Of course it's a risky sport but no more [and probably a lot less] than all the others rightly mentioned upthread.

Interesting comments from all!

Respects!

 

[Hand Sword]

I think it's society in general. The banning of dodgeball in schools, invisible jump ropes in gym class, etc.. It's getting ridiculous!

 

[beau_safken]

This kind of crap really chaps my ***.

How much safer can it get? Least it's not bare knuckle fighting like the old days. IF people elect to get hit by another person, thats all the authorization someone needs. If the person is over the age of 18 and isnt mentally incapacitated...they can do whatever they want. I mean come on...Least there isnt a cage or anything ala UFC.

I think its some wierd femmy group that doesnt like attractive woman in bikini's between rounds. "Down with the objectification of woman crap!" That or people need a hobby other than protesting...

 

[bushidomartialarts]

there's no way it would actually happen. boxing is one of the most politically entrenched sports there is. how many other sports have an official commission in most major cities worldwide?

 

[Lisa]

This kind of crap really chaps my ***.

How much safer can it get? Least it's not bare knuckle fighting like the old days. IF people elect to get hit by another person, thats all the authorization someone needs. If the person is over the age of 18 and isnt mentally incapacitated...they can do whatever they want. I mean come on...Least there isnt a cage or anything ala UFC.

I think its some wierd femmy group that doesnt like attractive woman in bikini's between rounds. "Down with the objectification of woman crap!" That or people need a hobby other than protesting...

hmmm... I don't ever remember any attractive women in bikini's prancing around the ring during a Olympic or Commonwealth fight..maybe I am just watching the wrong telecast? :idunno:

The International Amateur Boxing Association has recently been turned down by the IOC to have Women's Boxing become an Olympic Sport. I think that is a sad day for women in the sport and for the Olympics as well.

 

[beau_safken]

hmmm... I don't ever remember any attractive women in bikini's prancing around the ring during a Olympic or Commonwealth fight..maybe I am just watching the wrong telecast? :idunno:

Well Honestly I couldnt think of a angle for this other than that. I mean come on Maybe if we just give the aussies a fosters they will forget and let people just have fun again.

 

[stickarts]

I would not like to see boxing banned although i would like to see care taken to protect the fighters through use of proper gear, good refereeing, and keeping promoters honest.
The effort to ban boxing has been going on for quite some time but i can't see it happening anytime in the near future.

 

[still learning]

Hello, In America even the chickens cannot fight (in most states). Why not boxing?

The purpose of the ban is the illness from getting hit in the head to much. For the chicken's...getting killed. Were we from...the winners get to eat the dead chicken. For boxing this is not a good idea.

One day the world will agree that boxing is a dangerous sport for the fighters, and will no longer be allow or limited. ....Aloha