The pygmy or pix was an important part of the ancient Greek sport, and its roots at the competitive level go back to at least the 7th century BC. Myths and legends “envelop” its athletes, and it also left its mark on art with the famous Akrotiri mural. It was the sport of the ancient Olympic Games and one of the oldest of the modern ones, since it was introduced into the Olympic program in 1904. At the start of the year, the Greek sports world mourned the death of young boxer Vassilis Topalos.

The defeat of the 16-year-old again raised the question of whether there are risks in the ring sport. This is not the first time a boxer’s death has been linked to a fast-paced sport, but people who have donned gloves, stepped into the ring, received and thrown countless punches speak competently about its dangers. These are boxers. These are the ones who bled between the ropes. These are the ones who, as the father of three boxers (two girls and one boy) and coach Nikos Plis, says to “K”, “they will have to say the first word in the word pain, and their coach will have to obey.” their”.

As with any sport, medical examinations and compliance with the rules are the basic principles of accident prevention. The rest is good equipment and a coach-athlete relationship. “The helmet is the most valuable thing in boxing. It must be of good quality and must be worn by all while sparring and performing techniques. Training gloves should be of good quality and large. In competition, the 10 oz (sb) size is used, but training should be done with the larger size to ensure the safety of the athlete. In professional boxing, training is carried out in 18 points, and the helmet covers the entire face. Also, the mastic must be of good quality. The good ones are a little more expensive. Simple ones cost, for example, 5 euros, and good ones cost 30. They are made to order. But there are others that cost 10-15 euros which are good. Shoes, on the other hand, don’t play a big role, but good shoes will give you stability. As for medical tests, I take them for granted,” said Giorgos Stephanopoulos, a former boxing champion who finished 5th at the Los Angeles Olympics and distinguished himself at the European Championships, Mediterranean and Balkan Games, “K” . .

Safe, but under conditions

Former champion and coach of the national team for 17 years, Lefteris Livadis, considers boxing safe, but “under conditions”, who also mentioned the importance of medical examinations. “The athlete must go to the gym with medical tests that will show that he is healthy. In the 17 years that I was the coach of our national team, we did not have a single defeat. Nothing “strange” happened either. All athletes underwent medical examinations and if a boxer was knocked out, then he left the gym for a month. The doctor said not to sniff and… sweat. Then he took the tests again, and if everything was in order, he returned. The then president instructed the doctor to examine the athletes as boxers, and not just as athletes. Before I started training, I asked the athletes how they were feeling and acted accordingly, each individually.

The current federal coach Nikos Pleas, who is also the father of three boxers with international and all-Greek awards, has a similar opinion. “I was not afraid for a minute to send my children to sports, because I know the subject, and we use all means of protection, meaning first of all sportsmanship, and only then – the championship. Boxing, when protocol is followed with responsible athletes, coaches and parents, is a safe sport. As with all sports, there are rules that must be followed. If a child loves sports and, if his abilities and talent allow it, then he enters the competitive level. That’s how mine got in.”

In 2012, the International Boxing Federation announced its decision to remove helmets from amateur boxing. The Rio Olympics was the first Olympics to be held without a protective helmet for men. Today, only women and athletes in the younger age groups wear helmets. Does the helmet protect or is this protection unnecessary at the level of Olympic athletes? Opinions of local residents differ.

“In my day, we didn’t wear gloves unless we had a helmet on. And, of course, we trained with larger gloves than those we had in the races. Until, if I’m not mistaken, in 1995 the gloves had a white part, and with this point the boxer had to hit. Then it was canceled and everyone beats as they want. The helmet is there to protect against tears and basically doesn’t protect against anything else. He retired from men’s amateur boxing to make it more spectacular. However, I think that it did not protect much, as it increases the surface of the head and takes blows more easily,” Lefteris Livadis told us.

Helmet protects

Nikos Pleas advocates the use of helmets in amateur boxing and among men. “Research has shown that the helmet protects against elbow strikes, etc. Personally, I would like all boxers to continue to wear helmets in fights.”

The relationship between coach and athlete is another factor in risk prevention. “A coach must take care of his athlete. Today I see how dads who are not coaches have become … coaches and sit in their children’s “corner”. These are fathers who think they understand sports,” Mr. Levidis stressed. On the same wavelength and Mr. Pleas: “The coach must listen to the athlete in any complaint and act accordingly. We must protect the children and make sure all tests are done. Prevention also plays an important role in this case. The athlete is the one who first has to say the word “pain”. The coach must obey him.”