Letter: Don't hit the sport, hit the hitter

YOUR analysis of sportsmen and why they are violent ("First thrash the opposition, then thrash your woman", 25 January) is inappropriate and, dare I say it, sensationalist. I do not mean to condone or defend the perpetrators mentioned. The simple fact is that a high percentage of the male population is violent towards their partner. Bearing in mind the large number of professional sportsmen, there are bound to be a few who contribute to these statistics. What about those who do not? Geoffrey Boycott may well have an aggressive nature but that is his nature, not the nature of the game of cricket! And as for Frank Bruno suggesting that leaving his sport is like a bereavement, well, are we seriously supposed to be sympathetic? People leave all manner of jobs, often with a very bleak future, and in much more painful circumstances than extremely wealthy boxers, I can assure him of that. Some of them will take it out on their partners and some will not, depending on their personality. It's as simple as that.

Jane Crossen

Knutsford, Cheshire