The Japan Boxing Commission and Japan Pro Boxing Association jointly held a liaison council meeting against novel coronavirus on Dec. 23 and discussed the advisability of having all the seconds take antigen or other tests to prevent possible transmission of COVID-19.

While only a chief second receives a PCR test the day before a fight at present, the parties concerned want to widen the scope of this rule and have remaining two seconds take similar tests (to detect COVID-19) on the exact day of a fight.

If this can be possible, they hope to include the new rule for bouts taking place from January next year, according to the liaison council sources.

The JBC also said there is a possibility of a hospital not being able to accept injured boxers (either in boxing bouts or during training) if the infection status of the novel coronaviruses further worsens.

If there are no hospitals that can accept them, it would be impossible to admit boxing bouts, which will make it necessary to continue to discuss the medical care system (among the parties concerned).