Lesson from pugilist's death

Lesson from pugilist's death

From Pikiran Rakyat

As a fan of the Indonesian Professional Boxing Exhibition, I
deeply rue the death of our beloved pugilist Alfaridzhi. Despite
the fact that death is by the will of God, the calamity that
befell Alfa could have been avoided through the roles of the
ringside doctor, the manager, the coach and the referee.

The referee, the coach and the doctor should have stopped the
game when the boxer became unsteady on his feet after the second
round and before he was totally overwhelmed in the eighth round.
Alfa was knocked down several times but managed to get back on
his feet and face his rival. However, all he did was save face.

As a layman in boxing, I was deeply concerned about the
jeering that occurred during the bout and wondered why the
referee did not immediately put an end to the game or intercept
Alfa's opponent in the eighth round when he was being cornered
and received heavy blows. However, he did not collapse since the
rope supported him. It was here the referee should have used his
discretion.

This disaster should not have happened to Alfa and should
catch the attention of the boxing authority in this country.
In the United States, hardly do we hear about a pugilist dying a
useless death owing to the carelessness of the people around him.

We are very proud of and happy with the live broadcasts from
Indosiar and RCTI. Millions of people enjoy the programs, which
are naturally expected to encourage the local boxing world.
Indosiar makes money from advertisements, and boxing flourishes.
But to prevent such an incident from recurring, the technical
qualities of the referee, the doctor and the coach should not be
ignored.

It is perfectly true that each profession has its
consequences, but deaths can surely be minimized. I express my
sincerest sympathy over his death. May the bereaved be strong in
facing their loss.

RANA RUSMANTANA

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