A sporting issue that is not going to go away

From time to time this organ has covered developments on the ‘live’ issue of instances of diagnosed dementia (both the ‘early onset’ type and generally) in elite sportsmen and women and the extent to which it has potentially been directly or indirectly caused by their sporting careers.

Already this week there have been been media reports that consideration is to be given to the prospect that dementia linked to sporting careers may be awarded “industrial injury” status – see here for a link to this development as reported by the – DAILY TELEGRAPH

[Warning: the link I have provided above was working at the point that I posted this item to the Rust but – along with most British newspaper websites – these days the Daily Telegraph has a policy of preventing punters reading its stories unless/until they have taken out a subscription and so at some point my link to the above item may not “work”].

Elsewhere I was saddened to read of the latest notable sportsman to have announced that he has developed early-onset dementia.

The All Black Carl Hayman, long regarded in his heyday as the greatest prop in the world and an outstanding character to boot, has recently confirmed his diagnosis.

See here for a link to a New Zealand report on the news – NZ STUFF