BOXING AND THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 16086, 11 April 1916, Page 7

BOXING AND THE WAR

The annual report of the New Zealand Boxing Council says that the terrible conflict which is raging in Europe, Asia, and Africa has affected all branches of sport in the Dominion, inasmuch as the bulk of the eligible* connected with them had donned khaki. It was doubtful if any sport had suffered to such an extent as boxing. Ever since the outbreak of war the ranks of the reinforcements had received a steady flow of competitive boxers, and to-day scarcely a boxer of military ago is to be found in the Dominion. It might not be out of place to refer to the fact that the trained boxer was generally an acceptable recruit. The result of the dearth of competitors, and the turning of the public mind to matters of more vital interest, had been that practically all the smaller boxing associations had ceased operations for the season. Tho larger associations had carried out a few competitions, mostly for the purpose of assisting patriotic funds, but the season could be said to have been an off one for practically all local associations. Shortly after the annual meetiii'i of the council, the unde6irability of makinn any attempt to carry out the New land championships was apparent, and they were abandoned, a similar decision being come to with regard to the Australasian championships. The lists containing tho names of New Zealanders who had fallen in battlo included those of a number of the Dominion's amateur and professional boxers, those best known being : J. Hearty, light-weight professional champion; C. Savoury, amateur heavyweight champion; and F. Kerr, featherweight champion, 1910. A number had been wounded, and had since rejoined the forces; others had been invalided home, and of these some would acain take their places in the firing line, while others had been discharged. Early in the season local associations were requested to furnish the council with the names of the boxers who had enlisted from their reI spochye districts. Lists were forwarded I but since their receipt the numbers had I been considerably augmented bv later recruits. It is intended that the roll of ! honor shall be- a complete record of th« | followers of the sport of boxing in the Dominion who have taken narf in the great war. The council desired to place i on Tecord their appreciation of the unhesitating response made bv boxers u:kW their jurisdiction to the "call 0 f 1 «,->': r Pun.;; and country, and their deoprsfc sympathy with the relatives of those who have done their duty nobly and have fall™ in the doing.