GLASGOW - British boxer and Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan on Friday demanded headguards be reinstated into amateur boxing to protect exhausted fighters from possible injury.
The Englishman, a former two-time world champion, believes boxers fighting up to five times a week at international competition are more at risk of being seriously hurt. “I would say headguards need to come back, especially when you’ve got fighters who are fighting nearly five times a week,” said the 27-year-old, speaking on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Games. “You might get cut in the first day, on first day you might just get a head clash, you might be the favourite to win the tournament.” Khan said that boxers can still get facial cuts wearing headguards and be knocked out but they help with overall protection of the fighters. “I don’t think knock-outs happen as much anyway in amateur boxing especially at the high level because you’re fighting the best of the best. I think they should come back, it’s more safe for the fighters.”
Earlier at the Games, Australian boxer Daniel Lewis had called for headguards to be restored for amateur fighters after he failed a medical check and was ruled out of the welterweight quarter-finals. The AIBA, who discarded head protection in the amateur ranks last year, will assess the new rule and number of head cuts and injuries at the end of the Commonwealth Games.