IOC Removes International Boxing Association's Recognition

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Facts

  • The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday formally stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of its recognition as the sport’s governing body at an extraordinary virtual meeting due to its alleged failure to enact recommended amendments on governance, finance, and ethical issues.1
  • The IOC voted 69-1 in favor of the removal, which the IBA called “a tremendous error.” The boxing association had tried to block the decision through an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but its efforts were rejected Tuesday.2
  • This move comes after the IOC's executive board, chaired by Pres. Thomas Bach, recommended the expulsion two weeks ago, citing alleged governance issues under presidents from Uzbekistan and Russia as well the associations’ financial ties to Russian state energy firm Gazprom.3
  • Olympic boxing has had a checkered past relating to bout integrity, but IBA's relationship with the IOC deteriorated drastically after it elected Uzbekistan businessman Gafur Rakhimov as president in 2018 and Russian Umar Kremlev as his replacement in 2020.3
  • The IOC will oversee boxing competitions for the 2024 Paris Olympics as it did in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after it suspended the IBA in 2019 in an effort to promote governance changes. It remains unclear if boxers representing national federations who stay affiliated with the IBA will be eligible to compete in 2024.4
  • In addition to the 2024 Paris Games, boxing has also reportedly been confirmed on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic program. The IOC can now work with the recently created World Boxing, which is backed by officials in Britain, Switzerland, and the US.5

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Reuters, 3NBC, 4Associated Press, and 5ESPN.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Guardian. The IOC had no choice but to remove the IBA as the governing body of Olympic boxing as it failed to implement the necessary changes that have plagued its integrity and governance. The Olympics cannot endorse a body that is financially backed by Russian state businesses and has been repeatedly accused of fixing matches. The IOC will continue to promote the sport of boxing and oversee Olympic matches without IBA involvement.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Inside the Games. The IOC’s decision to remove the IBA’s Olympic recognition is unjust and detrimental to the future of boxing. The IOC did not care to give the IBA a chance to implement the recommended reforms because it was committed to removing the IBA at all costs. While the IBA is solely committed to boxing, the IOC is concerned about geopolitical moves that penalize association with countries it doesn’t approve of. It is a sad day for the sport.

Predictions