That p'd me off and made me feel to call for the dismissal of the dysfunctional Boxing Board of Control, was the hyping on two or three occasions, of a 12-year old Siparia girl fighting her first professional boxing match against an opponent twice her age.

Boxing is such a dangerous sport that there are strict laws for competition among amateurs. Wearing of headgear is compulsory, in order to attempt to protect the brain.

But the enthusiastic young lady/child was allowed to fight without headgear. Can somebody please negatively sanction the Boxing Board of Control and all concerned with this travesty? They are there to set and maintain standards, and they have fallen down woefully in a true third world fashion.

The warrior spirit in male or female does not always allow for common sense. The Board must protect these martial arts enthusiasts from their passion.

In its various guises here, the Board has insisted that our champions put up their newly won titles in non-paid bouts in the name of some so-called charity or social work. This is professional boxing people! On average ten people die annually in this sport. Ask the WBA. Nobody should put their lives on the line lightly. Just one month ago, Stephan Johnson died, because the promoters/managers etc did not insist he take the mandatory leave of absence after being knocked out by our own Fitz Vanderpool. We have seen boxers having to be hustled to hospital after bouts have been stopped - and some have died. One American boxer, rated at the time as best pound- for-pound, exists today in a wheelchair - a vegetable relying on the generosity and goodwill of some in the boxing fraternity. Our New Testament-spouting light heavyweight champion was hustled off to England, before earning any benefits from his (obviously) dubious victory, to be fish and fodder for a record boosting headliner there. It would not have been that bad if the chump (I mean champ) had been offered enough money to maintain himself for a year, but he and his managers accepted for £1000 (that's what the papers said). That is robbery with V. What managers or Board members allowed this?

Please protect our pugilists from their own enthusiasm and desire for fame and fortune. Governor Pathaki has taken the initiative in America. The Board must see that all promotions are properly organized and the lives and futures of our fighters are properly overseen. And please, no more 12-year old 'professionals' in this dangerous sport - or the Ministry of Labour might have to be called to invoke anti-child labour laws. The police may have a hand there too, instead of attacking artists' freedom of expression.

Old warrior from Diego Martin