LAUSANNE: The International Boxing Association (IBA), recently de-recognised by the International Olympic Committee, has announced the launch of two flagship events, a team competition, the Global Boxing Cup, and a club tournament, the IBA Champions League.
The IBA declared that the two competitions are open for all athletes to participate "regardless of their National Federation status" (read whether their NFs are affiliated to the US-UK led breakaway World Boxing or not. This will also include both international technical officials (ITOs) and referees and judges (R&Js).
Team events will come back to IBA’s calendar with the Global Boxing Cup, the successor of the World Cup established in 1979, with the new edition scheduled for 2024. National Federations will be split into respective leagues with those leading the charge with both qualifiers and potential play off stages. The IBA also claimed that "significant" prize money will be at stake for these events. as per IBA, the similarity to the previous iteration of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) will be seen for this reinvented team event.
Boxing clubs from across all 5 continents will be able to take part in the new league-based competition, with the IBA Champions League scheduled to start in 2024 consisting of 32 teams.
The release further states that "the event is designed to give more opportunities to elite boxers and develop the sport at club level". The Champions League will run for 10 months with a final scheduled for November 2024. Participating boxers will be obliged to have a set number of bouts to be eligible to take part in the event; this includes both male and female participants.
With these two competitions on the anvil, the IBA asserted that it would "not leave its National Federations without funds to support their training process in preparation for these events".
IBA president Umar Kremlev said: "By developing these opportunities through our competitions such as the Champions League and Global Boxing Cup, we give more and more prospects for our athletes with more chances to progress and provide for their families."
IBA interim secretary general and CEO Chris Roberts commented: "The IBA is well on the way to delivering more high-quality events and supporting those boxers who wish to perform on the world stage of our sport. We advocate a fair chance for everybody and look forward to welcoming our athletes for that fighting opportunity to compete. Within IBA, there is no place for political biases and restrictions based on nationality and National Federation status. This way, we continue our work to strive for both team and individual success in pursuit of excellence. Boxers deserve that opportunity, and we provide that platform in the best way possible."
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