By Syndicated Content
By Martin Petty
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Boxing will start with a clean slate for the Tokyo Olympics following an acrimonious contest at the 2016 Games, with the sport’s troubled governing body and all 36 of the Rio officials barred from any involvement in the competition.
With a history dating back to the ancient Olympics and bouts at every Games in the past century, boxing’s passion, popularity and place at the Olympics is rarely in question, but persistent disputes over judging quality have blighted successive contests.
A special task force running the Tokyo competition in place of the suspended International Boxing Association (AIBA) is eager to win back trust of boxers and teams by ensuring fair fights and consistent scoring to keep allegations of foul play to a minimum.