Laura Saperstein Prefers Skirts

Amateur boxing chiefs will discuss this week whether female boxers must wear skirts at the London Olympics.

The Amateur International Boxing Association (Aiba) has previously asked boxers to trial the skirts to help spectators distinguish them from men.

But at the European Championship in October, Poland and Romania were the only nations to do so.

All seven of Aiba's commissions are meeting in Thailand from 18-22 January. A final decision is expected in July.

Women's boxing will make its Olympic debut in London and the issue of making women wear skirts has already become a controversial one.

At the European Championship, Ireland's three-time world champion Katie Taylor told BBC Sport: "I won't be wearing a mini-skirt. I don't even wear mini-skirts on a night out, so I definitely won't be wearing one in the ring."

But there has been support from some boxers, such as MC Mary Kom of India: "The tennis players wear skirts and the badminton players are wearing skirts so why don't the boxers wear skirts?"

Following the January meeting of the sport's world governing body, at which dress code will be part of the agenda for Aiba's technical and rules body, a recommendation will then be made to the executive committee, before a final decision in July.

An online petition against forcing women boxers to wear skirts currently has more than 50,000 signatures.

Marianne Marston, who has backed the campaign, said: "I feel I have more important issues to deal with in women's boxing, the acceptance of women's boxing, acceptance of women in boxing gyms, than whether they should wear skirts or not.

"I think they (Aiba) are saying that women's sport won't get accepted or viewed unless women are feminine and boxing is not necessarily a sport that attracts particularly a feminine attitude from the women that compete in it and I think there should be a choice."

Meanwhile boxer and kit designer Laura Saperstein said: "I prefer to wear a skirt because they are more comfortable."

She told Radio 4's Woman's Hour: "In my view there is a very good reason why men wear the kind of shorts that they do."

Aiba says it is aware of the campaign but insists it is considering everyone's opinion, including the wider public, and seeking a consensus.

Moylette and Ward Win Gold

Irish boxing squad

Mayo boxer Ray Moylette won a gold medal at the European Senior Championships in Ankara, Turkey, today and he was followed soon after by Westmeath’s Joe Ward.

Moylette beat England's Thomas Stalker 18 points to 10 in the light welterweight class.

The 21-year-old, from Westport, Co. Mayo, was also a gold medal winner at the 2008 AIBA World Youth Championships in Mexico.

And 17-year-old Ward, from the Moate Boxing Club in Westmeath, claimed a fantastic 20-12 victory over Russian Nikita Ivanov to land the gold in the light-heavyweight division.

Moylette, 21, who boxes with the St Anne's BC in Westport, shared the first round 5-5 with Stalker.

Working behind his trademark high guard, he fired quality body shots and left and right hooks in the second to command a 12-8 advantage at the bell.

He went on to add another six points in the third.

Ward got off to a poor start against the Russian, but came storming back in the last minute of the first round to win 7-3.

He landed a number of good combinations to add to Ivanov’s problems, taking the round 8-3 to create a nine-point gap going into the final three minutes.

Ward adapted a defensive strategy and used the ring to further frustrate the Russian.

He showed experience beyond his years to close out the fight.

Ward claimed gold by a margin of eight points (20-12).

The Irish Boxing squad are due to arrive to Dublin Airport at 10.20am on  Saturday, June 25th.