AIBA controversially scrapped headgear for elite men's competition last year, on the grounds it would result in a reduced number of concussion cases in the sport.

The new rules were first applied at the 2013 World Boxing Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, last year and will be applied to all major international competitions over coming years, including at Rio 2016.

The decision has received criticism from many quarters of the global boxing community, most recently from the two-time world boxing champion Amir Khan, who claimed head-guards should be reinstated in order to better protect the fighters.

Following the case of Australian boxer Daniel Lewis, whose quarter-final fight here at the Commonwealth Games was declared over after he suffered a deep cut, despite the fact he appeared otherwise able to continue, AIBA vice-president Abdellah Bessalem claimed they would reassess the rule-change.

But speaking here this afternoon, Bessalem appeared much more forceful in robustly defending the decision, claiming opposition to the idea is due to their lack of understanding of the risks posed by concussion, which is a more serious worry than cuts sustained by fighters.

Since headgear was introduced to the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh 1986, two years after it was pioneered at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, the concussion rate has not been reduced, it was claimed.

Northern Irishman Michael Conlon managed to overcome the affects of a cut in his semi-final to win bantamweight gold today ©Getty Images




"The most important thing is that we reduce concussion and we found that without headguards there was less concussion than in the past," said Bessalem.

"The decision to remove them has been sent to the AIBA Congress and the Congress accepted it.

"We know that it will reduce concussion and that is what we are fighting to do, so it will be impossible to come back to the past and use the headguards."

Dr Abdelhamid Khadri, a member of the AIBA Medical Commission who was also present today, claimed the heavier weight of the headguards adds to the risk, particularly because many trainers add water to the headgear to make the pads heavier, allowing fighters greater power and weight.

It was also claimed there are no plans to remove headguards in women's boxing, because, studies have shown that the risk of concussion is far lower, so there is no need for them to cease wearing them.

Despite the firmness of this stance, AIBA are aware of the additional danger of cuts, and are highlighting a new cut preventative cream, named Cavilon, as a way to reduce the problem.

The cream, which is applied before the beginning of the bout, has been made available to boxers and their trainers on an optional basis because of the current risk of allergic reactions, but could become mandatory once it is fully tested.

On the first day it was showcased here, 17 of the 58 boxers used it, while on the second day 22 out of 72 competitors did, with a far lower rate of cut damage reported. 

"It is proved this cream helps to significantly reduce the cut rate and it is one of the tactics to prevent cuts in boxing competitions," said AIBA President, CK Wu, in a statement.

"Ultimately, when the boxers get familiar with having the competitions without headguards more often, the cut rate will be lowered immensely.

"We are working on educating the boxers, coaches, referees and judges to conduct the competitions following all tactics suitable for boxing bouts without headguards."

Amir Khan fought in a headguard when he won a silver medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games ©Getty Images





It remains to be seen if this response will satisfy the critical voices, with some seeing it as further evidence of the growing professionalisation of the sport, which has also be illustrated by other schemes, such as the World Series of Boxing.

Khan, who rose to fame as a 17-year-old when he won a silver medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games before turning professional the following year, put forward a compelling case for their return.

"I would say headguards need to come back, especially when you´ve got fighters who are fighting nearly five times a week," said the 27-year-old, who is here commentating for BBC Sport. 

"You might get cut in the first day, on first day you might just get a head clash, you might be the favourite to win the tournament."

"I don´t think knock-outs happen as much anyway in amateur boxing especially at the high level because you´re fighting the best of the best.

"I think they should come back, it´s more safe for the fighters."

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