Japanese boxing at ‘crucial point’, deaths could spell end: commission chief
Recent deaths of two boxers on same card have shaken sport to the core in Japan, as investigations continue
Japanese boxing is at “a crucial moment” and could cease to exist if it does not radically improve safety, the head of the country’s boxing commission told AFP following the deaths of two fighters.
The deaths have shaken the Japanese boxing world to the core, with authorities investigating the causes and debating measures to prevent further tragedies.
Japan Boxing Commission secretary general Tsuyoshi Yasukochi told AFP that they cannot afford to botch their response and that the future of the sport is at stake.
“If we don’t improve things, this sport won’t be able to continue,” he said. “If the people involved in the sport can’t improve things, we will have to quit.
“I understand that we are at a crucial moment where a sport that has been around for 100 years could potentially disappear. I think everyone is working every day with that mindset.”