Aiba stripped of right to run boxing tournament at Tokyo Olympics

Amateur boxing’s governing body, Aiba, has been stripped of its right to host the Tokyo 2020 Olympic boxing tournament.

However the International Olympic Committee has confirmed that boxing will continue as an Olympic sport in Tokyo under a new task force chaired by the president of the International gymnastic federation Morinari Watanabe.

In a statement the IOC said that it had taken the decision to suspend Aiba “due to the ongoing seriousness of the issues in the areas of finance, governance, ethics and refereeing and judging.”

However, IOC president Thomas Bach left open the possibility that Aiba might return after 2020. “Today’s decision was taken in the interest of the athletes and the sport of boxing,” he said. “We want to ensure that the athletes can live their dream and participate in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 while drawing the necessary consequences for AIBA following the recommendations of the Inquiry Committee. At the same time, we offer a pathway back to lifting the suspension, but there needs to be further fundamental change.”Throughout the process the IOC had warned it had “grave concerns” about the leadership of amateur boxing and its parlous financial state. But Aiba had hoped that a last-ditch meeting with the IOC on Monday might have changed its mind.

During the meeting it insisted that it had made substantial reforms. It also pointed out that its former president Gafur Rakhimov, who the US Treasury has called “a key member and associate of a transnational organised criminal network” involved in the heroin trade – something Rakhimov denies – had agreed to step aside in March.

It also insisted that many of the problems identified by the IOC were leftover issues from Wu Ching-kuo’s controversial 11-year reign at the top of amateur boxing’s governing body between 2006 and 2017.

Aiba came under heavy fire in 2016 following a series of dubious decisions at the Rio Olympics – with the Irish boxer Michael Conlan making global headlines after claiming he was “robbed” in his fight with the Russian Vladimir Nikitin.

A year later in 2017 the Guardian also reported that Aiba was on the verge of bankruptcy and how several senior figures had resigned due to Wu’s autocratic regime.

When David Francis quit as Aiba treasurer he cited differences with the leadership and said: “I am not provided with information and I am not included or advised of decisions being taken which may seriously impact on Aiba’s financial health.”

Aiba insist many of the problems are being addressed. The IOC has been sceptical, pointing out that many of Wu’s executive board are still involved in senior positions in the organisation.

The big question now is whether Aiba decides to retaliate by instigating a lengthy battle with the IOC in the Swiss courts, something it said it was considering this month.

In a statement, Aiba told the Guardian: “Aiba has fully addressed – and even exceeded – the demands from the IOC concerning governance, ethics, finances, anti-doping and refereeing and judging, despite being denied a right to a fair hearing for the past 18 months.

“Aiba will defend its legitimate right to organise the Olympic boxing qualification tournaments for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and will review all of its options, including legal, given that the IOC has breached the Olympic Charter.”

source: theguardian.com