Combating Concussion: Male Boxers to Compete Without Headgear at Rio Games
Combating Concussion: Male Boxers to Compete Without Headgear at Rio Games
Under new rules,fighters are set to compete at the 2016 Rio Games without protective headgear.
By Roy Billington
It is back to the basics for boxing. Ahead of the Rio Olympic Games, the International Boxing Association has given headgear its marching orders. This year’s Olympics will be the first since 1984 to feature male boxers without head guards.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adam explained the reasoning behind the decision today:
"AIBA provided medical and technical data that showed the number of concussions is lower without headgear,They have done a lot of research in the last three years. The rule will go ahead for Rio."
It is easy to see why the move away from headgear is being made. Firstly, on an aesthetic level, casual fans have never taken to fighters wearing them. For some uneducated fans the added head protection meant a watered down version of the sport with less opportunities for spectacular knockouts and this possession is understandable on a level. While fan opinion certainly may have helped sway the AIBA, the correlation between head guards and increased concussions was the deciding factor.
The concussion pandemic has been an insidious undercurrent in the world of contact sports for the last decade. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, it was thought headgear would aid in the prevention of concussion,, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The world of boxing, spurred on by the fact that the NFL had used helmets since the 1940’s, introduced compulsory headgear. Headgear had the added bonus of preventing cuts, which were an all too common occurrence in amateur tournaments. For some decades the effects of the use of headgear were unknown, it is only in recent years that the truth has began to surface.
Chairman of the AIBA medical commission Dr. Charles Butler described the results of a study he personally conducted on the area and the conclusions were astonishing:
This study was one of many that have been released in recent years. Amateur boxing shockingly has higher rates of concussion than MMA even though MMA fighters wear no headgear and fight in 4oz gloves.
The plight of concussions has permeated the mainstream psyche over the last number of years. Just last year, Will Smith starred in “Concussion,” which told the story of Dr Bennet Omalu and his battle to raise awareness of the concussion problem in the NFL, which is likely to stem from athletes wearing helmets and padding. While may seem counterintuitive, padding and helmets have been shown to make NFL player tackle more recklessly and suffer more concussive and sub-concussive blows.
While science is on the side of the headgear ban, former contender George Groves is completely against it. Groves told The Independent that the AIBA are making a mistake:
The final predicament we are in surrounds the use of headgear in young boxers. Young boxers are statistically much more likely to get concussion, which is terrifying and concussion in adolescents has been linked to serious endocrinological problems as well as an array of mental health issues. Perhaps it is time for the AIBA to move toward safeguarding the next generation of Olympians.
It is back to the basics for boxing. Ahead of the Rio Olympic Games, the International Boxing Association has given headgear its marching orders. This year’s Olympics will be the first since 1984 to feature male boxers without head guards.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adam explained the reasoning behind the decision today:
"AIBA provided medical and technical data that showed the number of concussions is lower without headgear,They have done a lot of research in the last three years. The rule will go ahead for Rio."
It is easy to see why the move away from headgear is being made. Firstly, on an aesthetic level, casual fans have never taken to fighters wearing them. For some uneducated fans the added head protection meant a watered down version of the sport with less opportunities for spectacular knockouts and this possession is understandable on a level. While fan opinion certainly may have helped sway the AIBA, the correlation between head guards and increased concussions was the deciding factor.
The concussion pandemic has been an insidious undercurrent in the world of contact sports for the last decade. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, it was thought headgear would aid in the prevention of concussion,, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The world of boxing, spurred on by the fact that the NFL had used helmets since the 1940’s, introduced compulsory headgear. Headgear had the added bonus of preventing cuts, which were an all too common occurrence in amateur tournaments. For some decades the effects of the use of headgear were unknown, it is only in recent years that the truth has began to surface.
Chairman of the AIBA medical commission Dr. Charles Butler described the results of a study he personally conducted on the area and the conclusions were astonishing:
Dr Butler examined approximately 15,000 rounds of boxing, 7,352 of which took place with both boxers wearing protective headgear, while the other 7,545 took place without helmets. He found that the concussion rate decreased from 0.38 per cent to 0.17 per cent when headgear was removed.
This study was one of many that have been released in recent years. Amateur boxing shockingly has higher rates of concussion than MMA even though MMA fighters wear no headgear and fight in 4oz gloves.
The plight of concussions has permeated the mainstream psyche over the last number of years. Just last year, Will Smith starred in “Concussion,” which told the story of Dr Bennet Omalu and his battle to raise awareness of the concussion problem in the NFL, which is likely to stem from athletes wearing helmets and padding. While may seem counterintuitive, padding and helmets have been shown to make NFL player tackle more recklessly and suffer more concussive and sub-concussive blows.
While science is on the side of the headgear ban, former contender George Groves is completely against it. Groves told The Independent that the AIBA are making a mistake:
"I get paid to get hit in the head. These kids don't. They need the protection head guards give at this stage of their careers, just as I did when I boxed as an amateur. I never had a cut or serious head injury. Removing them is highly dangerous. Especially at a time when several sports, not only boxing, are increasingly concerned about brain damage. It is too great a risk."This is an amazing initiative from the AIBA and is completely the right decision, but in light of this decision we are left with a bizarre question: why aren’t women included in this mandate? Are women somehow immune to concussion in the AIBA’s eyes?
The final predicament we are in surrounds the use of headgear in young boxers. Young boxers are statistically much more likely to get concussion, which is terrifying and concussion in adolescents has been linked to serious endocrinological problems as well as an array of mental health issues. Perhaps it is time for the AIBA to move toward safeguarding the next generation of Olympians.