REPORTS: WBC Enables New Guidelines to Tackle COVID-19 Disruption in Boxing
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The ongoing pandemic came in like a dark cloud, not just for the sport of boxing, but for almost every sport in the world. Because of this, many big sports events got scrapped as athletes kept testing positive for the deadly virus. But recently, one of boxing’s governing bodies, WBC, came out with a stern solution to tackle the damage taking place due to Covid-19.
A few days back, the mighty war between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder got postponed as the former tested positive for this virus. Consequently, the fans were left disheartened as they missed out on one of the biggest boxing events.
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Accordingly, the WBC came up with a solution to tackle such situations happening in the future. From hereon, the WBC, in its sanctioned bouts, will appoint ring officials and supervisors who have received the Covid-19 vaccine. Also, they’ll unquestionably ask these officials to produce proof of their vaccination if they wish to take part in upcoming boxing events.
WBC statement: "The WBC will only appoint ring officials and supervisors to WBC-sanctioned bouts who have received the COVID vaccine and produce proof of vaccination, without exception."
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 4, 2021
This move will help in curbing Covid-19 in boxing events. Also, it will help fighters feel safe when they step inside the squared circle.
The postponement of Fury vs Wilder 3 came in as a mammoth shock for the WBC and the boxing fraternity. It was one of the biggest bouts of 2021 and it would have opened the door for more such enigmatic encounters by year-end. However, now, the WBC has arrived at a sublime solution, and hopefully, this works in everyone’s favor.
Should other boxing governing bodies follow the pathway of WBC?
Because of the ongoing pandemic, many boxing events got postponed/canceled. In a wider picture, this resulted in fans not being engaged with the sport.
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But, with time, boxing bodies will have to make a few changes in order to keep the ball rolling. That said, other governing bodies should also look to take inspiration from WBC’s decision and come up with their own set of regulations for the safe conduct of fights.
It’ll be interesting to see whether these changes are adapted quickly to help the sport continue.
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What do you make of the WBC’s decision?