“Has Failed to Fulfill…” IBA Faces Major Setback From IOC, but Boxing Athletes Not Affected

Boxing and its many disciplines have been part of the Olympics for more than a hundred years now. Over that time span, it has been privy to numerous great battles and created many boxing stars like Muhammad Ali after the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he won gold. However, of late, the International Olympic Committee has had it up to its till with the International Boxing Association and took a drastic decision. While the IOC doesn’t have a problem with the athletes or the sport itself, it has come to loggerheads with the board and its chairman.

The IOC has fixed a date this month to terminate IBA’s Olympic status. The tensions started over half a decade ago, and after much deliberation and patience, it has come to this final decision. Several American boxers who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 haven’t yet responded on this matter. But their participation isn’t threatened.

IOC can’t deal with IBA anymore

An ESPN report suggests that the IOC and its complete board of executives have finally asked its members to back out of its recognition of the IBA. The decision that will be finalized on June 22 this year, will leave the IBA on its own without any support or backing from the IOC. Although IOC had its concerns before, boxing will still remain a part of the Paris Olympics.

The issue, however, wasn’t born overnight. They had previously once suspended the recognition of IBA in 2019, upon reports that violated governance issues, sports integrity, and financial disputes over a long period of time. In recent years, the IOC developed an issue with the President of the boxing body, a Russian named Umar Kremlev. The IOC statement read, “(the boxing body) has failed to fulfill the conditions set by the IOC … for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition”.

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Under Kremlev’s administration, the IBA is also heavily dependent on the Russian energy corporation Gazprom for its finance. And amidst the war that Russia is embroiled in, it didn’t sit well with the IOC to be dependent on a Russian firm for finance.

Boxing remains protected though, for now

Such a severe decision by the IOC obviously, in turn, wasn’t met well by the IBA and its President either. They blasted the IOC’s decision by calling it, “truly abhorrent and purely political”. They also threatened action in return. Back in 2017, IOC member CK Wu was the president of the boxing board, and he was driven out by boxing officials from his positions. Since then, the tension has been building between the two boards.

While boxing retains its due place at the Olympics for now, things might get trickier at the 2028 LA Olympics, if these tensions keep mounting instead of diluting down. American boxers Duke Ragan, Keyshawn Davis, Richard Torrez, Oshae Jones, and Nico Hernandez all won medals in some or the other boxing discipline at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. 5 years down the line, things may get trickier for them when the Olympics comes to their home country. In order to avoid that, some action needs to be taken from both sides.

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