LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended funding payments to the International Boxing Association (AIBA), citing major concerns on a number of aspects around AIBA’s governance and stressed the need to protect the sport and its athletes
The IOC identified several specific requirements to be met by AIBA, particularly in the areas of governance, financial matters, anti-doping, judging and refereeing, before funding can be resumed.
The IOC has directed AIBA to deliver a full report by the end of January 2018 on the actions taken to address the issues mentioned. “Until the required actions have been fully addressed by the federation, the IOC has decided to withhold any future financial contributions to AIBA with immediate effect,” the IOC stated.
In the meantime, the IOC will continue to liaise with AIBA on the necessary technical details for the preparation of next year’s Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
AIBA has been riven with in-fighting for months, with former president CK Wu first provisionally suspended and then stepping down in November after a bitter dispute with his executive committee.
Wu, an IOC member, was replaced by interim chief Franco Falcinelli and the federation will convene an extraordinary congress with its national member federations on January 27 in Dubai to consider proposed changes to its governance, Reuters reports.
