Boxing was a compulsory sport when I joined the army. There were many competitions at units, Armed Forces to national levels. Sadly boxing is no longer seen as an essential sport to encourage the fighting spirit if not anything else.
Boxing is a gentlemen's sport. No hitting below the belt. Sadly I was not a gentlemen in my younger days, as I never had somebody to tell me that I should be one. I was not a boxer. I was a street fighter. Kung Foo style and all, arms and legs included. Yes accessories too like, sticks, knuckle dusters and knifes were not exempted. I used to carry a pocket switch knife which I got from the Philippines when I attended the Boy Scouts World Jamboree in 1957. This switch knife was the three parts type which comprised the blade and two handles. It has a 6 inches pointed blade .The balde opened with a quick twist of the palm. This need skills, speed and style. It was a great deterent in street fighting. I did not have to learn boxing. But I digress.
Boxing was fought in a proper boxing ring with three judges and a timer sitting on the four sides of the ring. You have to fight, run? for three minutes each round. Many boxers were saved by the bell which stops the round. We were trained to box, to judge and administer in boxing. As it was a gentlemen's sport and all officers wore mess kit, and the ORS wore uniforms to attend boxing nights. Referees, judges and organisers wore whites with black bowties. Major Gen (R) Johan Hew Deng On, Lt Col (R) Mustapha Saad, Lt Kol (R) Maskan Katan, Major (R) Thomas Oh and Major (R) S Maniam were great Gunner officers associated with boxing. All Gunner regiments excelled in Armed Forces boxing. I remember 4 ARTY in Paroi camp in Seremban was chosen as our corps boxing centre of excellence.
Regiment Boxing nights were a great event. Each Bty had to produce boxers in all the weights. Elimination rounds were fought in the day time leading to the finals on boxing night. The evening started with pre drinks with our wives in the officers mess and we had supper in the officers mess after the matches. Of course a bar point was set up in the hanger/ gun prk used for boxing. The environment should be graceful amid blood shed in the boxing ring. It had all the grace and charms of lending finese to what would be a bloodly battle.
We do not have many boxing activities nowadays. But we should revive the sport in the corps as boxing is one sport that actually develops character building, courage and lending finese to fighting. I became an officer and gentlemen after graduating from th FMC. Thanks in part to boxing training.
Happy boxing.
Allen Lai
