BOXING CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 184, 30 April 1924, Page 5

BOXING CONTROL

THE PARTING OF THE WAYS NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL RESIGNS Something in the nature of a bombshell has been sent out by the New Zealand Boxing Council to affiliated associations. Dor some time past there has been a good deal of dissatisfaction concerning control of the sport in the Dominion, and a conference was held some months ago in Wellington to endeavour to smooth put the difficulties. The circular which has been sent out by the Boxing Council bears the signature of the chairman, Mr. A. R. Kirk, and is as follows :— “The position of boxing in New Zealand to-day is emphatically a matter for serious consideration. Those who have given the matter more than perfunctory attention must realise the great change that has come about since the resumption of operations following the close of the war. A brief resume is apropos to a final statement by the council: '“The New Zealand Boxing Council, originally formed as the New Zealand Boxing Association, a title restored, by the Wellington conference last October, was constituted as an amateur body. Those responsible, for its constitution realised at the time that the sport must be adequately safeguarded t, prevent private individuals from exploiting it for personal gain. For that reason the Government was approached, and representatives of the half-dozen or so associations which then existed, met a special Parliamentarv Committee, set up to deal with the administration of the sport. The committee was utterly opposed to professionalism, but ultimately agreed to give the sport legal protection, provided. that it was run as an amaetur sport, and that no professional contest should be promoted except at rare intervals between specially selected men, and then only, to quote the Act, for ‘educative purposes.’ These conditions were well observed up to the amateur championship held at Wanganui in July, 1914, though even by that date there was a tendency to exploit the professional for other than educative purposes. Altered Conditions. “Then came the war, the closing down of tho sport, and the resumption in 1919, accompanied by. a complete change of view, which is easily understandable to students of the sport. The influx of professionals from Australia, the largo increase in tho amount of prize-money, compared with what had been offered in prewar days, the introduction of new ideas from overseas, the opening of the ranks of associations to numbers of men with .absolutely no knowledge of the arranged terms on which the sport had obtained legal recognition, and with strong leanings towards the professional side of the sport, the puolic reaction for excitement naturally following the great- strain of the war ■ these and other allied causes all tended to divert the conduct of the sport from tho original purpose of the association. The altered conditions were to bo expected—in fact, could not be avoided. . It would have been strange if conditions prevailed all.over tho world where boxing is sanctioned should not have applied to New Zealand, Professional promotions. instead

of being few and for educative purposes, gradually became the main concern of associations. Parting of the Ways. “Professional boxing has come to stay, and the time has now arrived when control of it must be completely severed from tho control of the amateur branch. Provision for the control of both branches is a very simple matter. The New Zealand Boxing Association, seeing that its primary and main object is the promotion of professional contests, can no longer honestly claim toe an amateur institution. The truth, unpalatable though it may be to some, is that the putting of an amateur definition on the rule book, making provision for the holding of amateur championships, and dealing in a few other particulars with the amateur side of the sport, does not constitute the association an amateur body. “New Zealand, to-day, is the only country in the world conducting boxing in. which there is not a separate governing body for each side of the sport—amateur and professional.. The position to-day demands two things: (1) The scrapping of the present Act, and the passing of an Act which will provide for ths control bv commission of the professional side of the sport. (2) The formation of a new association to control the amateur side of the sport. Under such an Act the two authorities may work in harmony, as do the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association and the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union. This proposition no doubt will meet with opposition in some quarters, delaying its development, but reconstruction the lines indicated is inevitable. The change will be. of no material consequence to existing associations, which will toe relieved of what many of them very possibiy regard as being merely a side issue, and the amateur will still be available for competition purposes. Council Resigns. “The associations will realise that the present members of the. council, holding the above-expressed views, are unable to remain in office any longer, or to offer themselves for re-election. The term of office of the present council will therefore, end this month. It should not be necessary to add to the foregoing statement a generous acknowledgment by the council that the associations have, to the best of their ability under. the circumstances, supported amateurism, and a disclaimer of any reflection by the council upon the iiisociations in respect to developments that were inevitable.”