IBA Charges Forward:“Golden Era” Gathering in Istanbul
Now with the formal severing of ties to the Olympics, the International Boxing Association battles onward, dedicated to supporting amateur and professional athletes, its associated national federations and confederations, and grass roots programs, among other new creative ventures.
The sport governing body hosted a “Golden Era” press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 2nd bringing together athletes, officials, sport leaders, international media, and celebrity guests, while revealing its vision to for a new era. An entertaining one-hour+ press conference was followed by a thrilling fight night. The venue for both was the stylish Rixas Tersane Hotel, situated along the Turkish capital’s Bosporus.
Joining IBA president Umar Kremlev on stage were U.S. light middleweight (WBA) title holder Terence Crawford and flamboyant heavyweight Tyson Fury, as the boxing association leader unveiled plans entering a new, post-Olympic chapter. He emphasized intentions to further develop a comprehensive international strategy supporting fighters across all backgrounds in the amateur, professional and bareknuckle ranks.
“Our goal is to ensure every athlete knows that IBA is their boxing home – wherever the boxer is in the world, the IBA will support them,” Kremlev said, addressing the audience.
“This is our main goal. It is also our duty to create opportunities for children, who will gain positive development from the sport. We want to help them establish a new future for themselves and their families. We are now creating an ecosystem that includes amateur boxing, professional boxing and bare-knuckle boxing.”
The IBA was suspended by the IOC in 2019 over finance, governance and refereeing/judging issues. The organization strived to adopt governance reforms, while hiring Canadian sports ethics consultant Richard McLaren to provide recommendations on how to address its shortcoming and return to its former status. Ultimately, restoring ties with the IOC was unsuccessful.
An IOC boxing task force oversaw both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic tournaments. The sport – which has been contested at the Olympic Games since 1904 – was provisionally left off the competition program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. However, the IOC provionally recognized World Boxing – a federation launched in April 2023 – as the the sport’s new Olympic governing body, in February 2025. Boxing has once again been included on the program for LA28.
In Istanbul, according to the IBA – as presented during a video shown during the event – more than 600 boxers from 104 countries are currently supported by the federation. Additionally, more than 25 million dollars have been awarded in prize money and over eight million dollars invested in national federations over recent years.
Later that evening, in a bout for the IBA and WBA Super Featherweight titles, Great Britain’s James “Jazza” Dickens scored a convincing fourth-round knockout over Russian title holder Albert Batyrgazaliev. The Istanbul Fight Night’s undercard involved six more contests, including two female and two bare knuckle matches.
The IBA is currently focusing on building and developing its professional arm, IBA.Pro, complimenting its longstanding mission as the prevalent beholder of the amateur system. The boxing organization remains steadfast in its support for fighters along their path to the highest levels of the unpaid ranks.
It is also aiming to provide a reliable support system, bolstered by various monetary incentives for athletes under the IBA Financial Support Program. The IBA seems committed to assist a new generation of boxers to successfully move forward within the sport.
“There are a lot of talented kids out there that don’t have the finances to go to certain tournaments or they don’t have the right boxing equipment,” said four division world champion Terence Crawford. “IBA has committed to supporting those people to give them a fighting chance.”
Remembering “The Greatest” and Fond Memories from Atlanta 1996
Rasheda Ali, the daughter of the greatest fighter to ever step into the ring, was among numerous distinguished guests invited to Istanbul. She proudly recalled her father courageously lighting the Olympic Cauldron at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games, as he persevered, trembling from Parkinson’s disease.
“The 1996 Olympic Games (opening ceremony) in Atlanta was something that was a big secret – the famly didn’t even know that Daddy was the chosen one,” Rasheda Ali recalled. “Once we watched the Olympics, we all shed a tear because we thought what a perfect candidate to light the cauldron.
“I thought what a brave move to make for my Dad, visbly shaking and lighting that cauldron – it really changed his life.”
Ali also shared insight into her childhood and what life was like being raised in the Ali household, along with her sisters.
“As a young girl, I just wanted Daddy to be home – I didn’t want him traveling and I really didn’t want to share him with the world,” she said.
“I realized as I got older, that it was a big responbility to share him, but also necessary. We realized the impact that he made on millions of people truly made him the icon that he is.”