The Sports Administration today urged World Boxing not to repeat the mistakes of its predecessors, after Olympic gold medalist Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) withdrew from a boxing tournament in the UK due to medical confidentiality issues.
Lin’s coach, Tseng Tzu-chiang (曾自強), withdrew Lin from the World Boxing Cup Finals, where are being held in Sheffield from today until Saturday.
Lin faced similar issues regarding her eligibility during this year’s Paris Summer Olympics.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The Sports Administration called on World Boxing to avoid issues that could lead to boxing no longer being included in the Olympics moving forward.
Lin was officially sanctioned to participate by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the women’s category in Paris, Sports Administration Director-General Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠) said.
To prevent the same controversies from arising, Sports Administration Deputy Director-General Fang Jui-wen (房瑞文) and representatives from the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and Taiwan Boxing Association traveled to the UK to assist, Cheng said.
However, issues with World Boxing’s medical information confidentiality procedures hindered Lin’s ability to compete, he said.
This tournament was Lin’s first international competition since winning gold in Paris, and although she agreed to undergo a complete medical examination on-site, World Boxing did not permit her to compete, he said.
World Boxing was established last year and is still developing its administrative, regulatory and confidentiality frameworks, he said.
To prevent further harm, her coach, along with the accompanying officials, chose to withdraw her from the match, with the support of the Sports Administration, Cheng added.
Cheng said that World Boxing could meet with Taiwan’s boxing medical committee, accompanied by legal counsel, to discuss Lin’s case confidentially and help the new organization establish internal controls and safeguard athletes.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said the government is committed to ensuring Lin’s right to participate in future competitions.
As World Boxing is new and lacks certain privacy mechanisms, it does not have necessary safeguards to protect athletes’ medical information, Cho added.
In the future, the hope is that the organization will establish clear and fair rules, but until then, the government would continue to provide legal assistance to advocate for the nation’s athletes, he said.
This comes as boxing’s status for the upcoming 2028 Olympics is unclear, following an IOC decision to no longer recognize the International Boxing Association.
To try to ensure that boxing would remain an Olympic sport, World Boxing was launched last year, and currently has the support of 55 national member federations.
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