Arabic version: خسارة شيتو في نهائي الملاكمة تجدد الجدل حول التحكيم بالذكاء الاصطناعي

According to BBC News, England’s Dimeji Shittu won silver after a controversial loss to India’s Ankush Panghal in the Commonwealth Games boxing final in Glasgow, prompting renewed discussion about officiating and whether artificial intelligence could support judging.

Shittu, 24, won the opening round on all five judges’ scorecards, with one punch leading to a standing count for Ankush. The contest changed in the second round when three judges awarded it to Ankush, before Shittu was deducted a point for dipping his head low. He was penalised again for the same offence in the final round.

Former champion Richie Woodhall criticised the officiating on TNT Sports, saying: “The referee has cost Shittu the contest.” However, four judges also gave the final round to Ankush, meaning Shittu would have lost even without the point deductions.

Shittu declined to blame the officials after the bout. He said “whatever the referee says goes” and added that the foul had cost him the fight, while saying he would not improve by blaming judges or referees.

Delicious Orie, England’s 2022 Commonwealth Games superheavyweight champion, said AI judging could make scoring more objective. World Boxing, led by president Gennadiy Golovkin, has explored whether the technology could improve transparency and integrity, although no change is imminent. Questions remain over whether AI could assess factors such as the power of punches and how different blows should be valued.