Olympic Boxing: IBA Here To Stay
Despite being expelled as the federation overseeing Olympic boxing, the International Boxing Association is likely to remain involved with the sport for years to come. Even as efforts proceed to form a new IF, IBA membership includes a sizeable majority of the 190+ countries with national boxing governing bodies.
The IOC in June took the extraordinary step of booting the IBA from the ranks of recognized summer Olympic federations, a first in the annals of the IOC. It followed years of sloppy leadership that the IOC largely overlooked until 2018 when the federation was suspended.
Questions over almost everything from governance and financing to doping and corruption in judging dominated the IOC list of concerns. The election of Russian Umar Kremlev in 2022 is another sore point with the IOC. Since his election the IOC has yet to officially acknowledge as Kremlev president of the IBA.
But whatever satisfaction the IOC might take in expelling IBA from the ranks of the recognized summer sports, there is no federation to take its place. That includes World Boxing, a rival to IBA officially formed last month by the U.S., Great Britain and other European nations. But it has some hard yards to gain before it can apply for IOC recognition.
For now that means the IOC will organize Olympic boxing for Paris 2024 as well as Los Angeles 2028. It’s a job the IOC wants to unload but cannot until there is a federation it regards as competent to run Olympic boxing. IOC President Thomas Bach has warned that the IOC cannot do this forever.
World Boxing held its inaugural Congress in Germany a couple of weeks ago, but only about 25 national delegations turned up. At least 50 national federations are needed for IOC recognition. The World Boxing membership list includes just one in Africa and two from Asia.
Meanwhile the number of IBA members is north of 160 national federations. Among the heavyweights are Russia, China and India, as well as dozens of nations in Asia, Africa and the Americas.
There is more to recognition of a federation than just membership numbers. An IF has to be able to organize world championships and other events. Today, only the IBA is organizing events at that level for Olympic hopefuls; the situation seems unlikely to change soon.
For now it is IBA that continues to provide assistance to boxers around the globe. Kremlev has travelled extensively in the 18 months since his election. Last month he was in Africa where he brought boxing gear to Uganda and attended the meeting of the African Boxing Union in Ethiopia. He’s met with the president of Venezuela and the Pope in Vatican City. Now 41, Kremlev was the youngest IF president among the summer sports recognized by the IOC. Next week he is in Dubai to lead the 2023 IBA Congress and be on hand for an IBA Champions’ Night of boxing.
Kremlev says IBA training grants could reach $100,000 a year for national federations. Even without IOC funds that have been suspended for five years, he says IBA has eliminated the threat of bankruptcy and has cash available to fund its work.
World Boxing begins its life with a supposed bankroll of $400,000 and a strategic plan to bring this new federation to life. World Boxing faces the challenge of matching assistance offered by IBA. It could become a battle of resources to provide the help many of the smaller national boxing bodies depend on. For now it is IBA that is reaching into the grassroots of boxing.
Against the current political backdrop, Russia and its allies are unlikely to ever abandon IBA. Or to be accepted by World Boxing, given the strain that led to the split. The result: as long as boxing is in the Olympics, fighters from two different federations will feed into the Olympic Games.
One spoiler could come from the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Last month it heard the appeal from IBA about its expulsion. Expectations are for the court to reject the appeal, but a different verdict likely would elicit some interesting reaction from Lausanne.
Just as the IOC has adopted the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, a similar situation may be needed for boxing. Politics between two federations should not be a reason to penalize athletes with Olympic aspirations.
Written by Ed Hula
