Japanese boxing officials have informally decided that boxers who have cleared official weigh-ins, held the day before their bouts, must be ‘’isolated’’ at hotels until their bouts to be held in July as a measure to ensure the possible prevention of the novel coronavirus infection.

The decision was made at a joint online conference between the Japan Boxing Commission and Japan Pro Boxing Association on June 11. Boxing matches have been suspended for several months ever since the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, severely polluted Japan and the rest of the world on all fronts.

The boxers isolated at the hotels cannot leave them as they must eat meals at a designated place though they can bring their own food and drink, according to JBC Secretary General Tsuyoshi Yasukochi.

They have to go through COVID-19 antibody tests three weeks and the day before their fights, he said.

Since the degree of the COVID-19 pollution has subsided to a considerable extent in Japan, JBC and JPBA officials have decided to resume boxing bouts from July.

Yasukochi reaffirmed the planned introduction of polymerase chain reaction inspection for boxers as early as possible.
Final guidelines for these are expected to be worked out at their liaison conference on June 18, according to Yasukochi.