Commonwealth Games: No headgear? No problem for boxers

New Zealand boxer Leroy Hindley. Photo / Greg Bowker

No headgear? No problem, according to New Zealand boxers preparing for the Commonwealth Games event.

Last year the sport's governing body, the International Boxing Association removed the use of headgear, which was in place before the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 and changed the points scoring system.

The headgear changes were made in an effort to modernise and progress the amateur sport, and to align it with professional fighting.

The AIBA claims medical studies suggest fighting without head protection will minimise concussions. One argument is that headgear diffuses the impact of a punch, therefore allowing boxers to continue receiving more head shots over a longer period of a bout.

For young North Shore pair, Leroy Hindley and Chad Milnes, who will contest the light welter and lightweight classes, it's a good move.

''I prefer no headgear to be honest," Hindley said.

''With headgear and padding the head is more of a target. You definitely feel more free without the headgear."

There is the problem of collecting stray elbows or foreheads.

''We had a competition with a few different countries and I fought a Tahitian. We collided heads a few times and I got a pretty bad cut before I left New Zealand," Hindley said.

''I've had opponents who purposely do that."

Australian coach Don Abnett has spoken out on his concerns.

''It's the direction boxing is boing and we've had to change our style to prevent head clashing and work more on the skill of long range punching," he said.

''We want to keep the boys in the competition and we wouldn't like to see a head clash caused by not wearing a head guard rule them out prematurely."

However Alexis Pritchard, one of two New Zealand boxers in Glasgow, would rather keep her headgear - which is a good thing since the new rule only applies to the men's divisions.

''I don't know what it's like to spar without headgear but I'd prefer to have it because I don't want to be cut," she said.

And the boxing competition will have the 10-point must scoring system, wherein the five judges won't press buttons to signify a cleanly-landed punch, but will score each round with 10 points to the better fighter, a lower mark to the opponent.

Pritchard questioned the system, as two of the five judges scores are randomly omitted, leaving three counting scores.

''I'm not sure I like it but every system is going to be flawed. It's such a subjective way to find a winner," the London Olympian said.

As Pritchard pointed out if three of the judges score the win for the blue fighter, then two of those marks are randomly withdrawn, it risks the wrong result, in the collective eyes of the judges.

Four of New Zealand's nine-strong contingent have preliminaries when the event starts on Friday night (NZT) - super heavyweight Patrick Mailata of Auckland, welterweight Bowyn Morgan of Christchurch, light heavyweight David Nyika of Hamilton and Auckland heavyweight David Light.