BOBA ponders insurance for boxers

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Saturday May 25, 2013 00:00

 

BoBA President Michael Moroka revealed this at the association's Ordinary General Assembly (OGA) on Saturday.This comes after a change of rules for amateur boxers by the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) that all amateur boxers should fight without protective headgear. The new rule was introduced after the London 2012 Olympic Games and all AIBA affiliates are expected to be compliant by July this year.

Fighting without headgear will expose boxers to life- threatening injuries, hence the need for insurance cover.Professional boxers have always fought without headgear and should be insured before any bouts.Moroka told the affiliates that they are looking forward to implementing the rule soon hence they have asked for assistance from the mother body. He said the BNSC understand this new development and it is promising that something positive will come up. He said the new rule will come with other changes as there might be changes in scoring, thus necessitating a need to train further referees and judges to keep abreast with new developments.Moroka said it is important that boxers also get used to the changes as all upcoming international tournaments, including the Africa Championships, World Championships and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, there will be no headgear allowed. The change currently affects only senior male boxers while female boxers and juniors will continue to use the headgear.

Meanwhile, Moroka told the gathering that the current restructuring exercise employed by the BNSC has also affected them financially. As a result, they may be forced to cancel some of the planned interclub tournaments this year.On other issues at the assembly, Khumiso Ikgopoleng was retained as the national team coach and he will be assisted by Thebe Setlalekgosi and Dinners Sikele. Lechedzani Luza was appointed youth national teams coach and the technical advisor and Othusitse Mogotsakgotla will assist him.  Former national team coach Johannes Ditlhabang was appointed senior women's national teams coach. The technical appointments are for a period of four years. The president also touched on the launch of women boxing, which was postponed from last year to April this year. He said they had fruitful negotiations with Women and Sport Botswana (WASBO) and they will assist with the launch.

On the issue of AIBA professional boxing, Moroka said the implementation of the initiative was moving slowly in Africa because the continental body is not communicating effectively on the matter with the affiliates. The Saturday assembly also tabled the association's strategic plan (2013-2016) as well as the BoBA constitutional review to align with that of AIBA.