I mean, where do you draw the line - as the parties responsible for overseeing him being in the ring in any capacity (be it the coaches supervising just a spar where the opponent clearly "gets it" and is keeping himself offensively handcuffed, or the Ugandan amateur boxing commission in the event that he is, bafflingly, allowed to participate in any real action to 'represent his country' like they were talking about...) - between the value of empowering a disabled individual and providing a bit of uplifting inspirational tale for others, and the ENORMOUS dangers inherent doing something that is potentially life-risking for the able-bodied and fully sighted? (and fully trained, at even the world class professional level) Obviously he wants to do it, so how do you deny him the chance to overcome his raw deal and do what he loves - but at the same time, if he gets seriously hurt (which you have to assume he would, if he ever got in with anybody in a truly sporting competition where they weren't 100% sympathetic and pulling every punch...) Quite an ethical conundrum. I'd hate to be in the shoes of anyone having to say yes or no to him.
I suppose, he'll obviously never get to the point where he would fight anyone dangerous. Also, I would certainly hope anyone could beat him, by just tapping him with jabs and moving. However, you could just have one psycho who just wants to get in the ring and hurt him too
It almost feels like having it be too non-competitive or like a canned hunt where the opponent just dances around waiting for him to "pin the donkey tail on" is patronizing or insulting, and if he fought an exhibition on a show that charged admission it would feel uncomfortably close to exploitation...but at the same time I was relieved when the ref, after getting hit with a body combo after Bashir sensed him nearby and mistook him for the opponent, laughed it off (not in a malicious way) and in effect gave him special preferential treatment where normally hitting a ref would get you in trouble even if accidental... Just such mixed feelings all-around...
I hear what you're saying about allowing the guy to express his natural desire to participate in the activity but no responsible international body would or should allow him to participate against fully able bodied opponents (any more than they'd let a guy with both eyes punched shut continue in a bout). I'm completely unversed on disabled boxing but I'd have to imagine there is at least some form of precedent somewhere - most likely guys who have lost limbs (especially in Africa or East Asia). Hmmm.. (brief web searching....) Yeah - it seems even in the UK there's plenty of moves to encourage boxing amongst other sports for the disabled but primarily as a keep fit / social enablement activity. Certainly any suggestions of actual Paralympic takeup seem to have been swiftly rebuffed (and that's not even for the blind) - I think there's simply a point at which the level of danger within a sport overides the point at which as others (ie those who would be required to facilitate it) can be expected to take moral (or possibly in more practical, though IMO secondary terms) legal responsibility. Interesting topic though.
...or certain American states in the deep South. :-( (like wherever Tommy Morrison and Joe Mesi co-headlined a doubleheader with a positive HIV test and brain clot respectively...)
Yeah...maybe against another blind boxer would be a fair way of doing it? Even then it would come across a little P.T. Barnum for me...
There's a place for this gentleman in boxing, but it's not as a fighter. Bashir should hang 'em up now, he's got a bright future as a championship judge.