Olympics-Male boxers to abandon headgear at Rio Games after 32 years (Reuters)
By Karolos Grohmann LAUSANNE, Switzerland, March 1 (Reuters) – For the first time in 32 years male boxers will be able trade punches without any headgear at this year’s Rio Games after the International Olympic Committee sanctioned a change introduced by world boxing federation AIBA. AIBA adopted the change for amateur fighters some three years ago but needed to bring it to the IOC Executive Board, which noted it without objection on Tuesday, essentially rubber-stamping the decision and clearing the way for Rio. The IOC said AIBA had presented medical research that showed concussions were less likely to occur without headgear than with.