Dillon hits out after Osama is ruled out
A Black Country boxing coach has accused the sport’s officials of “killing dreams” after his fighter was ruled out of the national amateur championships with a controversial head injury.
Kev Dillon, head coach of Brierley Hill’s Lions ABC, wants the sport to urgently review its protocols after Osama Mohamed was handed a 30-day suspension, due to a cut sustained when he took an accidental elbow to the top of his head in last weekend’s Midlands final.
The incident forced the bout against Aston’s Satinder Hayer to be stopped near the end of the first round, with Mohamed declared a unanimous winner on the scorecards.
But the suspension imposed by the ringside doctor means the 20-year-old, a European bronze medallist at youth level who boxes regularly for England, cannot compete at this month’s national tournament.
Dillon has argued the ban is excessive and claimed the cut is both small and in a place where it could not be opened by a legal punch. Yet the club has no course to appeal the doctors’ decision or request another assessment.
It is the second year Mohamed has been forced to miss the national championships due to a head injury caused by an accidental clash and Dillon fears it will harm his chances of earning a senior GB call-up.
He said: “It feels like as coaches we keep making the dreams and the officials keep killing them.
“We are gutted for Osama. He has boxed for England in seven countries this season and the only place he has problems is his home county.
“It is a small cut on the top of the head, little more than a scratch.
“Safety is obviously paramount in boxing and if I thought there was any danger of concussion or the cut being opened in a fight we would pull him out ourselves.
“All we want is a bit of common sense. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be as common anymore.”
Mohamed, who lives in Halesowen, is already part of GB Boxing’s emerging talent programme and Dillon added: “This has cost him another year. I just wish there was a procedure where we could appeal or even visit the doctor again, on the day of the next fight, and say: ‘Look, it’s not as bad as you thought’.
“Osama has received the same suspension as a boxer who has been knocked out. It just feels like way too much.”
Midlands association secretary Louise Gibbs confirmed to the Express & Star the club had no option to appeal.
She said: “I can understand the frustration but unfortunately there is nothing anyone can do about it.
“The 30-day suspension is for the safety of the boxer and no-one can change that decision. We cannot overrule a doctors’ decision.”
