The Write Hook

By Ciaran Shanks

BUREAUCRATS are ripping sport to pieces.

That's a growing view amongst fans of almost every sport, from football to tennis, athletics to rugby.

Boxing probably goes to the top of the list for a plethora of bungles previously highlighted in this column at the hands of the professional game’s governing bodies.

But the sport’s latest self-inflicted black eye has come courtesy of AIBA, the governing body of world amateur boxing, who are proposing to allow professional boxers to compete in the Olympic Games.

Incredibly, this could see pro fighters in the mix to win a medal at this year’s Olympics in Rio.

This is a completely ludicrous idea, not only does it give an unfair advantage to pro boxers but it’s downright dangerous.

Theoretically, a fearsome, experienced world champion like Gennady Golovkin could be pitted against a far less experienced and less developed fighter. That could have devastating consequences.

In Scotland, it was once a rule that professional boxers could not spar with amateurs such was the concern over safety!

AIBA, led by the svengali-like Dr Ching-kuo Wu, have been desperate for a piece of the professional pie for years, paying fighters for their own AIBA Pro Boxing as well as introducing the popular, pro-styled World Series of Boxing.

That's as professional as it should get.

Dr Wu has argued that the because the International Olympic Committee have allowed American pro basketball players and A-list tennis stars Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to compete for Olympic medals, boxing should be given a similar treatment.

But there's a big difference when you're being punched in the face repeatedly.

The Olympics is meant to be the platform for inspiring young sports stars, not the current best in the pro ranks who could easily rob these up and comers of glory.

Charlie Flynn may still be unknown rather than an overnight sensation at Glasgow 2014 if these rules were in force.

But not all of AIBA’s proposals have been misguided.

All of the male competitors qualifying for and competing at the Games will fight without a headguard.

I've always doubted the importance of headguards, some amateur coaches I've spoken to feel the same.

They can often act as a false sense of security for boxers and it's been proven time and again they are not a deterrent to cuts.

The Olympics are just months away and AIBA will vote on the pro-am conundrum in June, they say there's plenty of time to introduce the new system.

Dr Wu is well-known for getting his way when it comes to major proposals.

But such a radical overhaul of the noble traditions of Olympic boxing simply cannot be rushed.