Dr. Joe McKeever:

As a sport, it has always been hyper-vigilant in defence of those who are injured because it is very topical in the media, hence the example just seen. Boxing has extraordinarily close-proximity observation. The referee is less than 1 ft. away from the boxer. It is the art of self defence, not of killing one's opponent. In this country, there has been no significant injury for 40 years. On the skills levels ensured internationally, everybody here should hold his or her head high, because we have 16 out of the 28 medals that have been awarded to Ireland in the Olympic Games. In the history of Ireland's involvement in the Olympic Games, boxing has accounted for the highest number of medals. Among the people who are very much in charge of amateur boxing, Joe Christle, Mel Christle and Terry Christle, one is a former professional boxer and a surgeon. He is the only person I have every heard of worldwide who is a surgeon and a former professional boxer. Part of his hippocratic oath is to first do no harm to others.