LAUSANNE: The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has put on a brave front in its response to the decision Thursday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to leave boxing out of the list of sports to be included in the “Initial Sports Programme” for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Reacting to the decision, AIBA stated it was “grateful” that “boxing will remain on the Olympic Programme for Paris 2024 and a pathway has been established for inclusion on the Olympic Programme of Los Angeles 2028”.
“Continued progress made by AIBA towards reform has also been acknowledged by the IOC, which has established a clear roadmap whereby AIBA’s suspension could be lifted in 2023,” boxing’s world governing body further stated.
AIBA president Umar Kremlev said: “We are grateful for the opportunity being given to boxing and its athletes. And we are also grateful to the IOC for its acknowledgement of our progress. The establishment of a clear roadmap is very helpful. There will certainly be more to do in terms of sporting integrity, financial integrity and governance. We remain fully committed to meeting all the objective criteria for reform established by the IOC. AIBA is determined to put itself in a position to be able to organise Olympic qualification and the Paris 2024 boxing tournament.”
Over the past year, AIBA has taken a number of significant steps towards stability, transparency and integrity. Towards this end, a number of external experts have been appointed to “investigate the past and lay foundations for a strong future”.
Recommendations provided by Professor Ulrich Haas and Governance Reform Group have already been approved by the AIBA board of directors and will be voted for at the upcoming Extraordinary Congress on 12 December. Professor McLaren will deliver the results of the Stage 2 investigation and further sports integrity recommendations on Friday.
Expanding on the reforms in progress, AIBA stated: “Sports integrity has received a significant boost. New vetting and selection criteria for referees and judges have been created and already successfully implemented at the AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Belgrade, with support from McLaren Global Sports Solutions. This marks a significant departure from previous competitions. Additionally, AIBA is in the process of adopting a new and improved scoring system which would see all referees and judges having to become recertified ahead of future competitions. The system will further improve sports integrity, while providing a more dynamic and engaging spectator and viewer experience. Elections to the AIBA Board of Directors will be held by 30 June 2022, with extensive renewal expected.”
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