World boxing set for revamp of scoring system

The current scoring system is not good and is subjective. They have to bring a system that is more objective SANTIAGO NIEVA, India’s high performance director

NEW DELHI: Olympic boxing is set for another scoring overhaul with the International Boxing Association (AIBA) working to reinstate the punch counting system that was discarded after the 2012 London Olympics in the wake of controversial judging. The revised system has yet to get some clearances within AIBA and awaits testing in competition before its possible introduction later this year.

Scoring has been a controversial subject in amateur boxing, and allegations of manipulation by judges has tarnished its reputation. It is one of the reasons AIBA was pulled up by the International Olympic Committee. Boxing came under severe criticism at the 2016 Rio Olympics for corrupt officiating. The world body is conducting a fresh investigation into the 36 judges in Rio and none officiated in the Tokyo Games.

AIBA adopted the current 10-point scoring system—it is akin to professional boxing—for the 2016 Olympic cycle. A boxer is judged on several counts, like quality of blows on target, domination of the bout, technical and tactical superiority and competitiveness. Five judges count the rounds with 10-9 given for a close round; 10-8 for a clear winner and 10-7 for dominance. The winner is determined by unanimous or split decision. This is also not considered foolproof as scoring is more subjective and open to interpretation.

The 10-point system too has come under the scanner over the years and despite AIBA posting evaluators for referees and judges and taking prompt remedial action, it still has loopholes. AIBA’s scoring initiative has been undertaken by president Umar Kremlev and secretary general Istvan Kovacs, who took over earlier this year. “We still have some work to do… The plan is to roll out some of the details later in October,” said Chris Roberts, Chair of the AIBA Referee and Judges Committee. “To create a new system means to have new boxing and a new future. It is easy when judging system is clean and transparent,” Kovács said at a meeting with referees and judges at the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia in July.

The new system will see five judges count the scoring blows and press a button. In case of a tie, the judges will decide on a second and third criteria—technique and competitiveness (more aggression). “Sometimes some referees and judges do not score properly,” said Lenny D’Gama, a top AIBA technical official from India, who is a member of Referee and Judges committee and an evaluator.