Parliament launches inquiry into long-term impact of head injuries in sport
ByReuters
Updated 03/03/2021 at 10:48 GMT
With some sports either taking legal action, or considering it, the inquiry will call witnesses from next week to examine whether more can do be done to prevent degenerative brain disease. 1966 World Cup winners Sir Bobby Charlton was diagnosed with dementia last year, while many of his former team-mates also had the condition at the time of their deaths.
Ray Wilson (holding the trophy) and Charlton brothers Sir Bobby and Jack - all three were diagnosed with dementia
Image credit: Getty Images
A parliamentary inquiry has been launched to look into the long-term effects of head injuries in sport.
The Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee (DCMS) will examine links between concussion and dementia and efforts to improve player welfare in professional sports, with the first evidence session taking place next week, on Tuesday 9th March.
The committee will also take evidence on the implications for youth sport and funding requirements for further scientific research.
"We will look particularly at what role national governing bodies should be taking and their responsibilities to understand risks involved for players and what actions might be taken to mitigate them," Julian Knight, chair of the DCMS committee, said in a statement.
"We're seeing a number of cases involving brain injury in sport likely to reach the doors of our law courts and we will also look at the implications for sport in the longer term of any successful legal claim."
In January, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston led roundtable meetings with athletes and campaigners for research into concussion-related injuries.
Concussions and their long-term effects have been in the spotlight since former players filed a class-action lawsuit against governing bodies World Rugby, England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) which alleges a failure to protect them from the risks.
Many have been diagnosed with permanent brain damage, early onset dementia, depression or symptoms and signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
1966 World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton was diagnosed with dementia last year, while four other members of that squad - his brother, Jack Charlton, Nobby Stiles, Ray Wilson and Martin Peters also had the disease at the time of their death.
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