The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) is among 21 national federations supporting the Common Cause Alliance which highlights the “last chance” to save boxing as an Olympic sport beyond Paris 2024.
The signed statement comes ahead of Sunday’s presidential re-election at the Extraordinary Congress of the International Boxing Association (IBA) in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, the outcome of which may ultimately decide if Olympic boxing lives past Paris.
In one corner is Umar Kremlev, the Russian businessman who at the IBA Extraordinary Congress in Istanbul last May secured a new four-year term as president, through to 2026. In the other corner is Boris van der Vorst, the Dutchman who was due to stand against Kremlev last May before being deemed ineligible by the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit (BIIU) on the eve of the vote.
Van der Vorst won an appeal against that decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and assuming the IBA first approves the re-election, should on Sunday get to stand this time.
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Since December 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended all funding to the IBA, which last year dropped all reference to the once Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA). An IOC letter to the IBA earlier this month highlighted concerns around their “financial dependency” on Russian-owned gas company Gazprom and an “increased” role of the presidential office in Moscow.
A final decision on boxing’s re-inclusion in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles is set for next March, the Common Cause Alliance statement signed by Gerry O’Mahony, president, on behalf of the IABA, other national federations including USA, Canada, France, England, Australia, New Zealand, Finland. Norway and Switzerland.
Their signed statement notes: “In May 2019, IOC issued the Inquiry Committee report (”The Lalovic Report”) and addressed several issues of concern resulting in the suspension of (A)IBA. These concerns included: sport integrity, governance and leadership, financial sustainability.
“Over three years later (September 8th) 2022, the IOC has once more written to IBA and concluded: ‘Considering the absence of a real evolution, the IOC Executive Board is not in a position to reverse this decision and will continue to monitor with grave concerns IBA’s governance’.”
Under the leadership of Kremlev, it says, “long-term financial stability has not been secured, competition integrity and fair management in the field of play have not been accomplished, failing to act on findings of independent experts and recommendations of the IOC.
“This is a record of failure to deliver on promises made to the national federations. All of our national federations, our coaches, our officials and most importantly of all, our boxers, will suffer as a result of this failure. Their Olympic dream will die.”
“[We] encourage our fellow national federations to act in the best interests of our boxers around the world and, at the Congress in Yerevan, hold this president [Kremlev] accountable for this record of failure, and support the change that is necessary to save boxing at the Olympic Games.
“It is our last chance … Our Common Cause is to keep Olympic style boxing in the Olympic program of Paris 2024 and ensure its re-inclusion for Los Angeles 2028.”
Earlier this week, USA Boxing declared its support for Van der Vorst, who has already stated he would resign as president if he failed “to restore IOC financial contributions to the IBA, unlock additional Olympic Solidarity funds for boxing, and form the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit to protect boxers and national federations” within his first 100 days, and step down if boxing’s inclusion at Los Angeles 2028 is not secured within one year.
USA Boxing president Tyson Lee also highlighted his fears for boxing’s future at the Olympics without change. “This is not only an indictment on our current leadership, but it’s an indictment on us all,” he said. “We all share responsibility here.
“If we as a Congress will not make the necessary changes to adhere to the IOC’s requirements for re-inclusion into the Olympic Games, then we are all responsible for denying our athletes the possibility to accomplish their dreams.”
Kremlev’s real name is Umar Lutfuloev, but he changed that after allegations of criminal convictions prior to his election as secretary general to the Boxing Federation of Russia (RBF) in 2019. The McLaren Independent AIBA investigation, published in December 2021, also alleged he failed to disclose on a Compliance Form that he changed his previous name under which he had a criminal record.
Sunday’s re-election also comes against the backdrop of the delay in delivering prize money from the women’s World Championships in Istanbul last May, Ireland’s Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’Rourke among those awaiting $100,000 awarded with their gold medals, though some payments have been processed since Monday.
