Sucker punch

The International Boxing Association's decision to allow professional boxers to compete at the Rio Olympics seems like a dangerous proposition. But it also offers a glorious opportunity for young amat

On the face of it, this is an idea so preposterous and so dangerous that the person who came up with it might be asked to get his head examined. The International Boxing Association (AIBA), last week, announced that it had begun procedures to open the door for professionals to compete along side amateurs at the Rio Olympics later this year. A final decision will be taken in June.

Before the introduction of boxing at the London Games in 1908, the sport was primarily motivated by money, with promoters so powerful that fighters seldom had a say in who they wanted to be pitted against. The Olympic movement revived the interest in amateur boxing - there was no cash involved, just two athletes sparring, often mollifyingly, in a brisk fight for a piece of metal that would go on to define their lives.

AIBA's latest proposal threatens to throw that into disarray. The thought of a 20-year-old kid with a handful of amateur fights against his name battling it out against a seasoned world champion is jarring and chilling at the same time. If AIBA's proposal - described as absurd by a host of former pugilists - goes through, boxing will cease to be the one Olympic sport that allows only amateurs to compete.

In an interview with Business Standard last year, British boxer Amir Khan spoke about how amateur boxing and professional boxing are like two completely different sports. "The preparation, the opponents, the intensity - everything is of a different level," he had said. Khan goes up against the feisty Mexican, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, for The Ring and WBC middleweight titles in May. The Olympics would be the last thing on his mind right now.

In case Khan does choose to make the trip to the Brazilian capital, he will have the chance to win a second Olympic medal. At Athens in 2004, the 29-year-old clinched a sliver in the lightweight category. Ditto for his compatriot, Anthony Joshua, who has the opportunity to defend the super heavyweight title he so thumpingly won in London four years ago.

Manny Pacquiao (seen here fighting Timothy Bradley) has also expressed his desire to fight in Rio

But then Joshua isn't the often mousy, sporadically-frenzied boxer from four years ago. He is a marauding colossus, who spills blood with the same ferocity as he lands monstrous upper cuts. Gary Cornish could only stand him for 97 seconds last year; Michael Sprott an equally embarrassing 88. So mesmerising is Joshua that he is the bookmakers' favourite to dismantle American Charles Martin when the two meet for the IBF World Heavyweight Title at the O2 Arena in London on April 9. A rookie fighting Joshua would be a cruel mismatch that has the potential of ending in tragedy. Fully-grown world champions decimating hapless amateurs is a sight that no one would relish.

Even Manny Pacquiao, who will face Timothy Bradley in the last fight of his career in April, has shown keen interest in representing the Philippines at Rio. Tyson Fury is also slated to participate; though for now he is firmly focused on battering Wladimir Klitschko for a second consecutive time when he meets the Ukrainian in a rematch sometime later this year. Gennady Golovkin, a feral Kazakh fighter who has knocked out 31 of his 34 opponents, could be another big draw at the Games. Most of the amateurs would be looking away now.

Akhil Kumar, former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, though is convinced that the gap between amateur and professional boxing has shrunk considerably in the last few years. "A lot of boxers are now participating in the World Series of Boxing (WSB), which has helped them gain tremendous experience," he says. WSB allows professional boxers to maintain their Olympic eligibility.

In some ways, amateur boxing has indeed changed. Vijender Singh has gone from a hugely successful amateur to a dominant professional in a matter of months, knocking out opponents for fun. But he is yet to encounter a mature fighter, someone who will put his ability to the ultimate test. Young boxers at the Olympics face that very daunting task.

Another Indian boxer, Manoj Kumar, is upbeat about the prospect of professionals entering the fray. "It is a great opportunity. The exposure will be immense. Also, with the rule change, you can earn money by turning professional and compete in amateur events at the same time," he explains.

His coach, Rajesh Kumar, offers a more guarded response. "Of course, it's unfair to young amateur boxers. The difference in ability and experience is huge," he says. "This will take away the charm of representing your country. With professional boxers competing, the Olympics will never be the same again," he adds.

In 2013, AIBA asked amateur boxers to shed the rudimentary headgear - ending the age-old use of padding. Former boxers, including Lennox Lewis, feel that more than lopsided bouts, it's the safety of amateur boxers that AIBA should be worried about. Speedy three- or four-round fights now threaten to snowball into gory slugfests, with amateurs most likely to come out second best.

Akhil Kumar, however, sees this as a great opportunity. "Boxing has always been unpredictable. Imagine if a young boxer knocks out an experienced world champion. Amateurs should treat this as a chance to establish themselves," says the 34-year-old. It remains to be seen if AIBA's decision will impact Indian boxers - who have done remarkably well in the last two editions of the Olympic Games - as most of them will participate in qualifying events later this year. National coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu expects four Indians - including world no 2 Shiva Thapa (56 kg) - to qualify. "We don't know who will qualify. But India can win 3-4 medals even with the professionals participating," adds Rajesh Kumar.

For AIBA, this is an attempt to attract global superstars to an Olympic sport that is struggling to keep hold of its brightest amateurs. Here, it is hoping that athletes like Joshua and Golovkin will do to boxing what the United States "dream team" did to basketball in Barcelona in 1992. Hopefully, it will not turn out to be as dangerous as it sounds.