More Safety For Fights
Boxing had just emerged from the Samora Msophi debacle, bruised and battered after being subjected to relentless and brutal flurries of punches from the media and public. The attacks came in opinions and questions ranging from what could have been done better, what could have been avoided, to recommendations as to who should take the blame and be banned from the game - when another incident happened.
Thousands of people at the venue and homes watched silently and helplessly as Amon Baloyi took two steps towards Patrick Malinga and collapsed before taking another punch that could have thrown South African boxing into perhaps the darkest chapter for our beloved game ever. Those two incidents must surely be a wake up call to Boxing South Africa and all its stakeholders.Maybe it is time to own up and take collective action. Our first move may well be to consider whether our own regulations still relevant enough to keep the game safe and remain attractive to the mainstream culture of the new South Africa and the rest of the world. Whether by keeping things as they are, we are not shooting ourselves in the foot. While making the game hundred percent safe will always remain dream, measures must be introduced, analyzed and implemented so that any defects in our system will be located and eliminated.
Some of these opinions are guided by positive and passionate attitudes that look at what and how much must be done to improve the safety of boxers in the ring, and need to be investigated with urgency. What also comes out clear to the comfort of us boxing people is that this attention demonstrates how boxing still occupies the minds of our society. While we are striving and struggling to survive the toughest competition against soccer, rugby and cricket, we just never seem to be lost and forgotten.Could it be us then who are not doing enough for people to reach out to us? Our we as boxing people sitting out there in a far corner like unwanted orphans when the rest of the society is trying to reach out to us? If that be the case, we must stretch our hand out of the mud. Maybe we will make things much easier for ourselves. We therefore have to introduce measures that will not only keep boxing floating within the momentum, but be big enough to not only survive, but to triumph.Boxing in its nature is a sport where you win by actually attacking your opponent and throw more effective and cleaner punches to triumph.
The contestant must outbox in terms of skills, outsmart, outthink, outfox, and outpunch the opponent. All of those attributes lead to actually lending more punishment to the opponent. Historically boxers are known to go to extreme levels to hone those skills and abilities both physically and mentally.As sports and technology have improved over the years, so have been the rewards in terms of fame and fortune. This phenomenon has seen athletes taking massive measures to hone to themselves to near inhuman levels of mental and physical conditions. These results can be achieved from video tape to computer analysis and medicine – both scientific and traditional.
The list is endless.effect of the punches in a boxing contest can mean the difference between life and death to one contestant. The volume and effect of punches may be enough to catch the attention of the judges to win on points, or they may be so effective as to injure, maim, render senseless or even kill. Some effects emerge later in the careers or after their lives in the ring. Careful measures have to be taken to protect them.... TO BE CONTINUED....