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By Justine Kelsie

Local councillor wants provincial combative sports commission

Dec 12, 2017 | 2:00 PM

The Chair of the Grande Prairie Combative Sports Commission says Edmonton’s temporary ban on combative sports events may have been the right thing to do.

This comes amid the review of the death of boxer Tim Hague, a 34-year-old teacher turned Mixed Martial Arts fighter. He was injured on June 16, 2017 during a boxing match. Hague was rushed to the hospital for a brain injury and later passed away.

Kevin O’Toole, also a City Councillor, says for the local commission, health is the number one concern.

“I think the Edmonton Council has taken the stance that…I am speaking hypothetically, that maybe there might be some things that weren’t necessarily followed, and this could have lead up to the complications.”

The job of a commission is to make sure there are good quality fights. O’Toole says that is making sure the fighters are in the ring with someone that is equal in strength to them and that they have been cleared by their physicians.

“I can say, from past history, we have found fighters that had serious health conditions. If it wasn’t for our medical testing that’s required, then there may have been an issue similar to Tim Hague in Edmonton had suffered. I feel that our Commission is doing an excellent job.”

The councillor is hoping a provincial combative sports commission can be brought together to put all governance for athletes under one roof.

“I have really been fighting for the provincial body. I know the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), passed a resolution that they will be bringing forward to the province to look into formulating a provincial body. We still want input on what exactly goes into that.”

The bylaw that puts a temporary halt on new licences and event permits for combative sports in Edmonton will be in effect until December 31, 2018. A report into the events surrounding Hague’s death is to be released December 14, 2017. 

by Justine Kelsie