Play the Game
A report by Peter Williams
When does keen sporting competition become violent excess? The growing incidence of sporting violence has increasingly concerned both doctors and sportsmen, as the number of serious injuries also increases.
But is sport itself simply reflecting society's changing values? DR GREG MCLATCHIE has been alarmed by the growth of a new and fast-growing sport called full-contact karate, which combines the skills both of boxing and karate.
PETER WILLIAMS reports from a ' kick-boxing ' tournament and points to inadequate medical supervision that has heightened the risk of injury in these contests. New evidence has emerged stressing the gravity of head injuries that were once thought to be trivial. The trends towards winning at all costs in rugby, cric. ket and even squash, indicate the increasing risks for the sportsman on the field of play.
Editor RON RADDON
Producer PETER KINKEAD