Page 1247 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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controls and supervision to minimise the risk of injury to the participants. The council also advocated the adoption of a national protocol to standardise these control and supervision rules and procedures. The question still remained for the Government to decide whether to move to ban boxing or to control it.
Calls to control boxing are supported by figures relating to deaths in this sport in Australia. In the years 1900 to 1972 there were 82 deaths directly attributed to boxing. Let us not forget; if you have a look at the Australian rules of the World Kickboxing Association they follow the guidelines of the Marquis of Queensbury, with the exception that competitors can kick to all the same target areas as a boxer, and so on. That means that you can punch people around the head with boxing gloves on, but you can kick them round the head with nothing on your feet and legs. The Bill quite specifically places stricter controls on professional boxing than on amateur boxing. This recognises the fact that amateur boxing has a worldwide controlling body and an Australian body which is part of that world body. The performance of the Amateur Boxing Union of Australia in looking after its boxers has been first class, and this legislation will allow amateur boxing contests only where they have been organised by the union or an affiliated club. The rules of amateur boxing include the wearing of headgear and the restriction of bouts to three rounds.
The International Amateur Boxing Association has recognised that the sport is under serious scrutiny, and so it ought to be. It is a dangerous sport. People get injured. Boxers get injured. For those of you who have not been in the ring, Mr Humphries, and had a bit of a punch or two thrown at you - - -
Mr Humphries: How do you know?
MR BERRY: I can tell because your nose is still a bit straight. I have watched you on your feet, Mr Humphries, and I reckon that if it was anybody worth their while it would not be straight by now. The International Amateur Boxing Association has recognised - - -
Mr Humphries: You take me out the back and see. Make a bet.
MR BERRY: I have been in a few and I got hurt when I won them. It is a sport where you get hurt.
The effectiveness of its rules were evident at the 1991 world championships, where not one bout was won by a knockout. Under this Bill professional boxing bouts may be approved only where the participants, boxers and officials, are registered with the New South Wales Boxing Authority, and where the boxers are in possession of a current medical card issued by the authority. These cards carry records of fights and medical examinations before and after each fight. They also show details of any period for which a boxer is barred from fighting for medical or injury reasons. We have arranged a process whereby registration details and the details on the medical cards can be authenticated with the New South Wales Boxing Authority.
Special conditions pertaining to women's applications have been necessitated by the fact that women are effectively banned from boxing in New South Wales and subsequently are unable to be registered with the Boxing Authority and unable therefore to obtain medical cards. That is why they rate a special mention.
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