LONDON — Female boxers and the public will be asked for their views about women wearing skirts instead of shorts in the ring at the Olympic Games next year.
International Amateur Boxing Association spokesman Sebastien Gillot said the organisation had never suggested skirts should be compulsory. The AIBA was surprised at the way a clothing controversy had snowballed in amateur boxing in the past week.
“It’s quite frustrating to see the way in which this news has been going around,” he said. “We are aware that it’s a very sensitive issue.”
Several female boxers have criticised attempts to encourage them to wear skirts for what seemed to be purely aesthetic reasons.
The Lausanne-based AIBA said the “uniform issue” would be discussed in January by its technical and rules commission, which would make recommendations for the executive committee to make a final ruling.
“The AIBA is seeking a consensus from the worldwide boxing family and the wider public for reference purposes,” the organisation said in a statement.
Women’s boxing will be making its Olympic debut in London next year with three gold medals available. The women were offered skirts for the first time at the world championships in Barbados last year.
The BBC said that at last year’s European women’s championships in Romania only Polish and Romanian boxers used skirts, the former designing their own and making them compulsory. —Supersport
