Boxing officials in Japan to hold emergency after deaths of 2 boxers on same card
Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought on the same card at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall on August 2, and died days later following brain surgery.
The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), gym owners and other boxing officials are under pressure to act and will hold the emergency meeting on Tuesday and are also expected to have talks about safety next month, local media said.
'We are acutely aware of our responsibility as the manager of the sport,' Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary general of the JBC, told reporters on Sunday.
'We will take whatever measures we can.'
Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary general of the Japan Boxing Commission. Photo: Kyodo News
Japanese media highlighted the risks of fighters dehydrating to lose weight rapidly before weigh-ins.
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