adminRIO DE JANEIRO. — Olympic boxing enters a controversial new era when the action in the ring begins today in Rio with professionals involved for the first time in a vastly revamped competition. Significant changes also include a new points-scoring system while male boxers will no longer be sporting clunky head-guards, as Olympic boxing attempts to move closer into line with professional bouts to boost its appeal, particularly in the United States.While the decision to dump the head-wear and the unpopular punch-counting system was mostly positive, the AIBA (International Boxing Association) courted stern criticism by opening the Olympic competition to professional boxers for the first time.
Compounding matters, the decision came in June, just two months before the Games, so too late for most pros to start planning a tilt at gold.
The result is that only three professionals will compete in Rio and they are not names that even boxing fans will have heard of — Hassan Ndam Njikam of Cameroon, Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng and Italian Carmine Tommasone.
The AIBA says exhaustive studies found there are fewer concussions without headguards. — AFP.
Online Reporter