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The bearded Sikh
A lot of people are probably wondering what all the fuss is about. It all started when Pardeep Nagra, a Sikh boxer, refused to comply with an International Amateur boxing rule that prohibits fighters from sporting beards in the ring. That rules out a certain segment of society; deadheads, woodsmen and unfortunately for Nagra, that also rules out practicing Sikhs.
And that's where a rule takes a giant leap and becomes an issue. Because to Nagra, his beard is not merely the result of a few lazy months away from the razor and he's not making a fashion statement. He's practicing his religion.
Nagra's religion prohibits him from shaving. Amateur boxing rules prohibit him from fighting with a beard. It seems pretty simple, but it's not. It's a classic clash with no simple resolution. When rules interfere with religious beliefs, passions peak and human rights take centre stage. Touchy stuff.
But is this a human rights issue? To Nagra it is. He is being barred from fighting merely because he chooses to practice his religion. But what should we do when a religious practice interferes with the rules of a sporting association, or even the laws of the land. The simple answer is to make exceptions, like the Catholic priests keeping their vino during prohibition. But where does it end and where will it lead?
Nagra refused to shave and The Canadian Amateur Boxing Association not only refused to let him fight at the Senior Amateur Boxing Championships in Campbell River, but cancelled the entire light flyweight division.
Being the main qualification tournament in Canada for the 2000 Olympic games, that's a harsh decision for a lot of fighters.
Even harsher would be the possible outcome if the CABA would have let him fight. By breaking International Rules, the CABA would have been prime candidates for discipline. The worst case scenario would have the entire Canadian boxing team barred from competition or suspended. More than a handful of Olympic dreams instantly dissolved.
I assume that to the CABA this issue is cut and dry. It's not about religion or human rights. It's about rules. Rules that must be enforced without exception to assure not only the safety but the good standing of its fighters on the International scene.
And in the harsh sport of boxing, rules are taken very seriously. Especially on the amateur level, where the science of the sport is meant to be showcased in a "gentlemanly" manner. The sport on the amateur level is about discipline and controlled violence, and rules, whether concerning ring behaviour, or facial hair, are strongly enforced.
What about Nagra's proposal to wear a net over the beard? While that may resolve the safety issue it doesn't resolve the fact that the beard remains, contrary to International rules. It's an exception in a rule book that doesn't offer exceptions. And exceptions are tough things to deal with because they open the floodgates, leaving us to sink or swim depending on what eventually makes it through.
Pardeep Nagra will not box, and his beard will remain. I think he made the right decision. He's a true fighter, not because he can handle his dukes, but because he knows what he's fighting for. And it's a lot more than a few whiskers.
Results
Below are the results of first day action at Campbell River, B.C. Preliminaries - Wednesday, December 1
BOUT / WEIGHT RED CORNER BLUE CORNER 1 51kg Jason Hayward - NFLD(W) Rafael Romero - QC 2 54kg Roseanne Blackburn BC Sandy Tsagouris - Nat. A(W) 3 54kg Danielle Bouchard - Nat. B(W) Tammy DelaForest - SK 4 54kg Shamus Billings - BC(W-DQ) Shane Langford - BC 5 54kg Ray Morales - ON Keyshor Limbu - AB(W) 6 60kg Francis St-Martin - QC(W) Jimmy Wall - NFLD 7 75kg Richard Peltz - BC Donny Orr - BC(W) 8 75kg Nicholson Pollard - QC Stepen Boyd - Nat. B(W) 9 81kg Paul Shah - BC Douglas MacPhee - BC(W) 10 91kg Benjamin Smith - BC Troy Taylor - BC(W) 11 91 kg Bermane Stiverne - QC(W) Ryan Henney - SK 12 91+kg William Gerevas - BC Wayne Jackson - BC(W) 13 91+ kg Sheldon Hinton - AB(W) Ernest Sutherland - SK 14 91+kg Patrice L'Heureux Arthur Cook - MB(W) 15 91+kg Shawn Roy - NS Arthur Binkowski - ON(W)
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