By Joe Koizumi

A week has seen the coronavirus situation in Japan worsened day after day since March 23 when the JBC/JPBA meeting was held and decided that boxing shows would resume in May. The next liaison conference meeting, however, took place a week later yesterday (March 30), when the JBC/JPBA made a new decision to extend its policy of canceling all cards through the middle of May.

Every day we see the growing figures of coronavirus infections especially in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, the biggest three cities here. It is already such a critical time that our government is now discussing whether or not to proclaim a state of national emergency, and many sports events have been already canceled or postponed. For the sake of the health of the audience, participants and/or people concerned, it will not be a wise move to stage boxing shows too soon against the government’s and the public’s moral dissuasion.　We should be cool and patient until the COVID-19 situation should become improved.