Should Women's Boxing Be Banned
Equality has a Ring to It
The pinnacle of any amateur athlete's success is measured in the Olympic
Stadium. Upon the conclusion of the 2004 Athens Olympics, the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board met to review its program and make changes for the upcoming Summer Games. The committee discussed changes for events within the 28 existing sports, as well as options to add new disciplines.
The board rejected the International Amateur Boxing Association's (AIBA's) proposal to add a women's boxing program to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
IOC sports director, Kelly Fairweather said the decision was taken on a "purely technical basis." The IOC did not feel it has reached the stage where it merits inclusion (dailytimes.com) …show more content…
Because there is no Olympic competition for females, many are making their boxing debut in the professional ranks with no prior experience. If women are given the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games, they would remain in the amateur ranks honing their skills in hopes to reach the medal stand, thus gaining the experience and credibility prior to, if ever, joining the pro ranks. Without the Olympic opportunity, women have nothing to lose by forgoing the amateur program and entering the professional sport with inadequacy. Women and girl athletes have yet to reach parity with men. Equality means both men and women have the same opportunity to reach for their goals. It would establish a legitimate amateur boxing program, improve the skill level in women's boxing, increase the credibility of the sport as a whole and also help women overcome the stereotypes often associated with gender in sports. So the Olympic Creed goes "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle."
The pinnacle of any amateur athlete's success is measured in the Olympic
Stadium. Upon the conclusion of the 2004 Athens Olympics, the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board met to review its program and make changes for the upcoming Summer Games. The committee discussed changes for events within the 28 existing sports, as well as options to add new disciplines.
The board rejected the International Amateur Boxing Association's (AIBA's) proposal to add a women's boxing program to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
IOC sports director, Kelly Fairweather said the decision was taken on a "purely technical basis." The IOC did not feel it has reached the stage where it merits inclusion (dailytimes.com) …show more content…
Because there is no Olympic competition for females, many are making their boxing debut in the professional ranks with no prior experience. If women are given the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games, they would remain in the amateur ranks honing their skills in hopes to reach the medal stand, thus gaining the experience and credibility prior to, if ever, joining the pro ranks. Without the Olympic opportunity, women have nothing to lose by forgoing the amateur program and entering the professional sport with inadequacy. Women and girl athletes have yet to reach parity with men. Equality means both men and women have the same opportunity to reach for their goals. It would establish a legitimate amateur boxing program, improve the skill level in women's boxing, increase the credibility of the sport as a whole and also help women overcome the stereotypes often associated with gender in sports. So the Olympic Creed goes "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle."