Boxing is a dangerous sport and doesn't deserve state funding

Discussion in 'British Boxing Forum' started by nip102, Nov 21, 2009.


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  1. nip102

    nip102 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    It is immoral to encourage young people to risk brain injury by repeated blows to the head
    Your article on the resurgence of
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    highlights an irrational, immoral and dangerous funding strategy that encourages people to risk their health (
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    , 16 November).
    You quote Rebecca Gibson of the
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    saying that "the sport had benefited from the success of fighters such as Amir Khan and a jump in funding from £50,000 in 2005 to £4.7m this year". The government funding, via Sport England, is a huge amount of money; but the figure becomes positively offensive when you consider how much financial support is provided for charities working to help people rebuild their lives after brain injury.
    Headway is one of those charities: through our network of 110 groups and branches across the UK, we provide support and rehabilitation programmes. This year, our total public funding was less than £300,000 – a pittance in comparison to the millions spent on promoting a dangerous and reckless sport.
    The article's subhead states: "A decade ago there were calls for the sport to be banned on safety grounds. Now even its harshest critics have been won over." This is a gross misrepresentation: its critics are as determined as ever to see this dangerous sport banned.
    The report also quotes
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    , the Olympics minister, saying: "Twelve years ago I considered boxing almost too dangerous to be considered as a mainstream sport. I was public health minister and the British Medical Association quite regularly at that time called for boxing to be banned." Jowell needs to know that the BMA, like the World Medical Association,
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    , due to the cumulative effects of repeated blows to the head.
    Brain injury can be devastating. It can mean losing the life you once led and the person you once were, and victims often have to relearn the most basic of life skills – such as walking, talking, thinking and feeling.
    Jowell said that boxing "gives [young people] self-esteem, it gets rid of aggression, yet at the same time is a highly disciplined sport. We know it can be a way of disengaging kids from gangs, carrying knives, from low-level crime and high-level antisocial behaviour." But the notion that boxing is the only sport that instils a sense of discipline is short-sighted, to say the least. If you are to succeed in any sport you need discipline.
    And there is a long list of boxers – both amateur and professional – who have fallen foul of the law in the past year. Most have been arrested for, or accused of, violent crimes or assaults. So much for discipline.
    You also state, "Boxing is now available in 34% of secondary
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    in England", and that "5% of primary and 26% of
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    have a formal link with an accredited amateur boxing club". This is disturbing. The increasing number of people taking up boxing will lead to a greater demand for the services of charities like ours. I can only hope that, when the time comes, this increased demand will be met with increased funding.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/20/boxing-schools-head-injuries
     
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    #1
  2. nip102

    nip102 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Aug 13, 2009
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    #2
  3. Losfer_Words

    Losfer_Words Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    The key word there is 'risk'. I also think it's pretty risky to get in an extremely heavy, huge metal tube filled up with kerosene and then have it fired towards the sky at a speed faster than sound using jet engines attached to flimsy wings.

    A lot of the anti-boxing brigade have their own agenda. They have no idea how good the ringside medical teams and safety infrastructure actually are either. Jockeys and rugby players are also at a high risk of head injury- I don't see either of those two mentioned in the repudiation/ propaganda piece:think.
     
    Losfer_Words, Nov 21, 2009
    Losfer_Words, Nov 21, 2009
    #3
  4. mufasa

    mufasa New Member Full Member

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    Oct 17, 2009
    Boxing is the 75th most dangerous sport in the UK. I bet noone here can name 75 sports. It's less dangerous than gymnastics for christ's sake.
     
    mufasa, Nov 21, 2009
    mufasa, Nov 21, 2009
    #4
  5. nip102

    nip102 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Aug 13, 2009
    your man has an agenda and he forgets to mention its 75th on the list of the most dangerous sport which was in the article he is complaining about.The fact morons like him are discussing this is worrying
     
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    #5
  6. davidjay

    davidjay Well-Known Member Full Member

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    davidjay, Nov 21, 2009
    davidjay, Nov 21, 2009
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  7. Beeston Brawler

    Beeston Brawler Comical Ali-egedly Full Member

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    One reason why boxing gets a lot of negative press in this respect is because it doesn't really support it's former athletes - a lot of them fall into booze/drugs/gambling/domestic abuse - sometimes a combination of the above - whilst others receieve career ending injuries in the ring.

    Other than the odd charity dinner, what does the sport give back?

    Perhaps if it introduced something like.......

    http://www.rflbenevolentfund.co.uk/

    It might get more positive press.
     
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
    #7
  8. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Boxing is dangerous period.

    It is one of few sports that the ultimate aim actually is to knockout your opponent out, with your fists...

    But if regulated correctly it is a sport many enjoy both in participation and as a fan.

    The BBB of C leads the world in boxing safety, and has never rested on its laurels, unlike say a sport like Rugby Union, where I could be scrummaging against a complete novice and could quite easily seriously injury them, and in turn, be up against someone, who could do the same to me, totally legally, something that simply could not happen in this sport in this country.
     
    TBooze, Nov 21, 2009
    TBooze, Nov 21, 2009
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  9. nip102

    nip102 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Aug 13, 2009
    Right on the money very few fighters make hatton money but they all get injured.Boxing needs a healthcare and pension system,its want fans and dogooders like the writer should demand.But the sport is too messed up
     
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
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  10. GazOC

    GazOC Guest Star for Team Taff Full Member

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    The difference between boxing and most sports above it on the "risk" is the particpants intent to harm. Thats how the anti-boxing mob justify it anyway.....
     
    GazOC, Nov 21, 2009
    GazOC, Nov 21, 2009
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  11. Beeston Brawler

    Beeston Brawler Comical Ali-egedly Full Member

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    Good post.

    Some of the stoppages in this country, frankly, are pretty ridiculous...... but I'd rather see 1m early ones than a single one that was far too late.

    Rugby union is a fair example, but one thing that you must realise is that the clubs are obliged to have players that can cover loosehead, tighthead and hooker on the bench - if they want to replace someone for whatever reason - and if the replacement gets injured, say a torn hammy, the starting player is permitted to return - if both players for any of those positions are injured, we revert to non-contested, rugby league style scrums.

    Having played more matches than I care to remember, I can't recall a player being seriously injured during the act of scrummaging, the new laws to prevent injuries have (IMO) made the situation worse because every single scrum has to be reset several times.

    More players get injured when being tackled in the air, stamped on and such.
     
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
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  12. nip102

    nip102 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Aug 13, 2009
    Rugby does have a major problem with injuries aswell.Remember that scotland game where two player where still playing after being ko'd till the ref send them off.Plus some players take huge damage like Jerry Flannery that dude going to have a lot of problems in later life
     
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    nip102, Nov 21, 2009
    #12
  13. Beeston Brawler

    Beeston Brawler Comical Ali-egedly Full Member

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    Hmmm.......

    Most rugby players have played on in a game when they were unaware of what was going on..... it's not uncommon. You do get a bollocking from the coach afterwards for missing a routine tackle because you were running the wrong bloody way :nut
     
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
    #13
  14. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    The sub rule does not work, as we like everyone else just nominate one of the second row. I am far from good, but at times I have scrummaged against kids that never done it in their lives.

    Like you said, the new rules does not work. I would agree with your injury point, but that is only because most people in Rugby, play to the spirit of the law, rather than the literal interpretation (the we all got to go work on Monday rule), and clearly this is occasionally broken as I know of a couple of people who have been paralyzed in the sport.
     
    TBooze, Nov 21, 2009
    TBooze, Nov 21, 2009
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  15. Beeston Brawler

    Beeston Brawler Comical Ali-egedly Full Member

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    So the poor 2nd row has to get in there and suffer..... poor guy :-(

    It's not something any team I have played in have ever done - it has only been necessary once and the ref just went for uncontested scrums.

    Having played mainly at #7 I get to see some of the goings on, and have heard a few tightheads shouting ''neck'', and looseheads being lifted by the tighthead boring out.... but nobody seriously injured, not to the point of going to hospital or worse.
     
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
    Beeston Brawler, Nov 21, 2009
    #15
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