National Boxing Championships to return after one-year hiatus

The senior national boxing championships is all set to make a comeback after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament will be held at the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS), Vijayanagara, Karnataka between September 15 and 21.

The national boxing championships will be contested in new weight categories, introduced by the AIBA last month.

The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.

Boxers will also need to carry a negative RT-PCR report obtained 72 hours before landing at Bellary. The boxers’ temperatures will also be checked on arrival.

The last day to submit an entry (by number) is September 1, while by name it is September 8.

BFI plans to re-introduce headguard at senior National boxing championships

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is also planning to bring back the headguards for the elite male boxers. Men’s amaeteur boxing did away with headguards in 2013. It came after the International Boxing Associtiation (AIBA) medical commission, based on a research study, concluded that removing the gear “may reduce the risk of acute brain injury in the sport.”

According to the research, boxers were more vulnerable to getting concussions while wearing headguards as the padding around the eyes limits the boxer’s vision.

However, the removal of the protective gear saw increased injuries. The AIBA stated that the rise in cuts will change as boxers and coaches get acclimatized to competing without headgear.

Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar supported BFI’s plan to bring the equipment back to the competition.

“It is a great idea because fighting without head guards in one-off bouts in the professional circuit is fine but in a tournament that involves competing continuously for four-five days, it is better to have head guards. I used to get irritated with head guards during my playing days but it is better to have them for competitions like these.”

The proposal will be discussed at the BFI executive committee on September 3.