The World Boxing Association (Iba) wants to prevent an impending exclusion from the Olympic Games program with a report on its reforms published on Tuesday.
One day before a meeting of the IOC Executive Committee on the future of Olympic boxing scheduled for Wednesday at short notice, the Iba published excerpts of a 400-page report to the International Olympic Committee on its website.
It addresses all of the IOC’s concerns, and the report highlights all of the reforms implemented over the past two years, including the reasons for the changes, according to a statement from the world association.
The Iba has been suspended in the IOC since 2019. The Olympic umbrella organization around German President Thomas Bach complains, among other things, about the dubious management of the association, a lack of financial transparency and the lack of integrity in the arbitration processes. As a result, boxing was removed from the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The qualification for Paris 2024 and the Olympic fights are in the hands of a task force set up by the IOC – as was the case at the Tokyo Olympics.
Iba suspended several associations
A number of national federations have set up a competitive federation called World Boxing, which is due to be officially established in November. In response, the Iba suspended the German Boxing Association (DBV) as well as New Zealand, Sweden and the Netherlands.
The Iba, led by the controversial Russian Umar Kremlev, said it firmly believes that it meets all the necessary criteria to be part of the Olympic movement, including good governance, finances and sporting integrity. “The years of hard work have paid off, and Iba is a role model for international sports federations,” said Iba General Secretary George Yerolimpos (Greece).
The AP news agency reported on Tuesday that the IOC Executive Committee could decide on recognizing the Iba or its complete exclusion at a special meeting scheduled at short notice this Wednesday. A confirmation by the IOC was initially pending.