June 22, (THEWILL) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has revoked the recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the global governing body for the sport.
During an extraordinary online session held on Thursday, the IOC ratified a recommendation put forth by its Executive Board. The decision, approved by an overwhelming majority of 69 votes to one, comes as a result of the IBA’s failure to address crucial concerns related to governance, finance, and ethical matters.
In response to the IOC’s decision, the IBA expressed strong disapproval, condemning it as “truly abhorrent and purely political.” Despite their efforts to contest the recommendation, the IBA’s urgent appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest judicial authority in sports, was rejected earlier this week, further solidifying the IOC’s verdict.
THEWILL recalls that the IBA had previously faced suspension by the IOC in 2019 due to similar issues surrounding governance, finance, refereeing, and ethics. Consequently, the IBA was not involved in the organisation and management of the boxing events at the Tokyo Olympics. Although boxing will still be included in the Paris 2024 Olympics, the IOC will assume responsibility for the qualification bouts and overall competition, rather than delegating these tasks to the IBA as previously done in Tokyo.
The IBA’s standing was further compromised by the termination of its sponsorship agreement with Russian energy giant Gazprom, following Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. These developments have spurred the creation of a breakaway group named World Boxing, attracting several nations that have severed ties with the IBA in favour of joining the new organisation.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
