IOC Revokes Recognition of International Boxing Association

The International Boxing Association (IBA), led by Russian Umar Kremlev, is no longer recognised as the global boxing authority following a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In June, the IOC’s executive board put forth a recommendation to revoke IBA’s status due to the association’s inability to fulfill the reform requirements established after its 2019 suspension. The suspension resulted from governance issues and alleged corruption.

Out of the 70 valid votes cast on Thursday, 69 supported the recommendation.

In recent developments, an independent federation known as World Boxing was established in April.

For the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, boxing was managed by the IOC because of various concerns involving IBA’s financial standing, governance, ethics, refereeing, and judging. This management role will continue into the Paris 2024 games.

Boxing was initially excluded from the 2028 Los Angeles program. However, during the IOC’s 140th session, IOC Director General Christophe de Kepper assured that boxing would be included in the program set for five years from now.

IOC will finalize the game program for Los Angeles 2028 in October.

Before the vote, IOC President Thomas Bach emphasized, “We do not have a problem with boxing. We do not have a problem with boxers. The boxers fully deserve to be governed by an international federation with integrity and transparency.”

The International Boxing Association’s appeal against this recommendation was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday.

At the time of the recommendation by the executive board, IBA denounced the move as “truly abhorrent and purely political”.

In a statement, World Boxing “welcomed” the IOC’s decision to revoke IBA’s status, calling it a “hugely significant moment for the sport”.

World Boxing affirmed its commitment to working closely with the IOC and other stakeholders to maintain boxing’s status in the Olympic programme.

What led to this?

A 2022 independent investigation found that boxing had to address ethical concerns to retain its place in the Olympic Games. It uncovered a longstanding culture of bout manipulation, including events at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The final report from Professor Richard McLaren exposed several decades of financial mismanagement, rule violations, and insufficient training for referees, judges, and officials.

In October, IBA (backed by Russian state-sponsored energy corporation Gazprom) lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers, against the IOC’s advice. This led to multiple nations, including Great Britain, boycotting the World Championships held earlier this year after the IBA allowed Russian and Belarusian boxers to compete under their nations’ flags.

Umar Kremlev, IBA’s president, sharply criticized the boycotters, equating them to “hyenas and jackals” for compromising the “integrity of sport and culture”.

Kremlev has held the presidential position at IBA since 2020 and was re-elected without contest in May 2022. This came after the Dutch boxing federation president Boris van der Vorst was disqualified from running.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in June that Van der Vorst was unfairly barred from running, but IBA delegates refused a proposal for a new election. The IOC voiced extreme concern over the outcome.

World Boxing aims to receive IOC recognition, a process that could potentially take up to two years given the federation’s recent inception.

World Boxing made five commitments, one of which is to prioritize the interests of boxers and to ensure boxing remains a part of the Olympic movement. The interim board of the new organisation includes representatives from the United States, Sweden, the Philippines, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, and Great Britain.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about International Boxing Association (IBA)

More about International Boxing Association (IBA)

• International Olympic Committee (IOC)
• International Boxing Association (IBA)
• Tokyo 2020 Olympics
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
• World Boxing (Note: This link is hypothetical as I can’t provide a real link to this newly formed organization due to my knowledge cut-off in September 2021)
• The Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Professor Richard McLaren’s Investigation (Note: This link leads to the official site of Richard McLaren’s sport law firm, where potential investigation details might be found)
• Gazprom