Playing with Lives in the Ring

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The specter of death in the ring hangs over professional boxers in Indonesia. Three boxers have died after a fight in the past year alone; throughout the history of boxing, 30 have died.

In early March, for the first time since 2004, the World Boxing Council slapped Indonesian boxing with sanctions. It was a sure sign that something was wrong with the sport. Tempo found several reasons why: poor training facilities, negligence by boxers, coaches and managers, and a lack of compliance with safety regulations. It is time Indonesia remedy the situation before any more lives are lost.

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JASON Butar-Butar jogs and skips around the perimeter of the Street Singers Boxing Club in Bulungan, South Jakarta. It is the middle of the day, but instead of a t-shirt or a loose-fitting sweater, Jason has on a tight, long-sleeve jacket.

I lose weight this way," he says. The 24-year-old boxer is working to shed enough pounds to qualify for the 57-kilogram featherweight class. With four days to go before his next fight, he still weighs 60 kilogram

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