Boxing scandal at the Paris Olympics

Boxing scandal at the Paris Olympics

by Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Is this what we have to put up with, albeit well-intentioned, for Olympic-style amateur boxing, especially the obviously non-boxing people running the upcoming Paris Summer Games?

The ambiguity surrounding the new classes for men's boxing has forced Eumir Marcial and Carlo Parham to operate in a higher weight class than they did at the last Tokyo Olympics and in previous major tournaments.

Fortunately for Marcial, he qualified for Paris by winning a silver medal in the light heavyweight division at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which was one of the qualifiers for the upcoming Olympics. Carlo and other Pinoy amateur boxers were unsuccessful in the first world qualifier in Italy, but plan to try again in the next qualifier to be held in Thailand soon.

What caused this boxing?

I found the following from Wikipedia:

“The boxing competition at the Paris Olympics is scheduled to be held from July 27th to August 10th. The boxing qualifying matches will take place at the Arena Paris Nord in Villepinte, and the medal rounds (semi-finals and finals) will be held at the iconic Arena Paris Nord in Villepinte. It will be held at Roland Garros Stadium.

“In June 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the International Boxing Association (IBA) from hosting tournaments due to “continued issues of fraud in the areas of finance, governance, ethics, officiating, and officiating.'' – Prohibited hosting rights. , the IOC Executive Board has announced that Paris 2024 will see boxers earn quotas through continental multi-sport events such as the Asian Games, European Games, Pan American Games, African Games and Pacific Games. A new qualification system for the competition was established and approved.

“In line with the IOC's mission to achieve full gender equality, further significant changes will be made to the boxing program for the Paris 2024 Games, with the number of men's weight classes reduced from eight to seven, with an eventual shift to light heavyweight. weight class (actually middleweight) will be abolished, while the women's weight class has increased from five to six weight classes with the introduction of bantamweight.

“The boxing program for the Paris 2024 Games will have the same number of weight classes as the previous three boxing programs, comprising a total of 13 weight classes (seven for men and six for women). In accordance with the Olympic Committee's mandate, the number of men's classes has decreased by one class, in contrast to an increase of one class on the women's side, and the program continues to be updated.

“Male boxers compete in seven weight classes:

Flyweight 51 kg (112.436 lb)
57kg. (125.663 lbs.) Featherweight
63.5kg (139.994lb) lightweight
71 kg (156.528 lb) light middleweight
80 kg (176.37 lb) light heavyweight
92kg (202.825lbs) Heavyweight
+92kg super heavyweight

Female boxers compete in six weight classes:

Flyweight 50 kg (110.235 lb)
54 kg (119.05 lb) bantamweight
57 kg (125.663 lb) featherweight
Lightweight at 60 kg (132.277 lbs)
66 kg (145.505 lb) Welterweight
75 kg (165.347 lb) Middleweight

The men's weight classes leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are flyweight 115 lbs (52 kg), featherweight 126 lbs (57 kg), lightweight 139 lbs (63 kg), welterweight 152 lbs (69 kg), middleweight 165 lbs (75 kg), and lightweight. Heavyweight 179 lbs (81 kg), Heavyweight 201 lbs (91 kg), Super Heavyweight (any weight over 201 lbs).

That's as clear as can be.

The Olympic-style women's boxing classes are flyweight, 106 lbs (48 kg) and under, bantamweight 112 lbs (51 kg), featherweight 119 lbs (54 kg), lightweight 126 lbs (57 kg), light welterweight 132 lbs (60 kg), Welterweight 141 lbs (64 kg), Middleweight 152 lbs (69 kg), Light Heavyweight 165 lbs (75 kg), Heavyweight 179 lbs (81 kg), and Super Heavyweight weighing over 179 lbs.

However, based on the Tokyo 2020 Games, Olympic women's boxing will be divided into five weight classes: flyweight 112 pounds (51 kg), featherweight 126 pounds (57 kg), lightweight 132 pounds (60 kg), and welterweight 152 pounds (69 kg). Limited. Middleweight 165 pounds (75 kg).

Clear cut like men's.

Who was, or was, the wise man who devised a new strange weight class with more clearly defined weight limits than the definitive traditional weight class?

What was the motive for doing so?

In a separate article describing the new boxing class, the author noted Cuba's continued dominance in boxing and the Philippines' unprecedented success in boxing at the Tokyo Olympics.

Is the return of the Olympics, and especially Olympic-style amateur boxing, to Europe a factor in the division's handicap against Cuban and Asian boxers?

The author, Teodoro Medina Reynoso, is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. Contact him at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com or call 09215309477.

Click here to see a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.