MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) The International Boxing Association (IBA) said on Thursday that it has banned the National Federation of the United States, USA Boxing, from participation in its competitions, following USA Boxing's formal withdrawal from the IBA.
In mid-April, the national federations of the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, and the Philippines announced their decision to establish World Boxing to "address the IOC's (International Olympic Committee's) longstanding concerns over sporting integrity, governance, transparency and financial management." The organization "will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing's ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme." On Wednesday, USA Boxing announced its decision to leave the IBA and planns to join breakaway World Boxing.
"The International Boxing Association (IBA) acknowledges the resignation of the National Federation of the United States of America, USA Boxing, on 26 April 2023 that came as an immediate reaction to the filing of the official compliant to the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit (BIIU) for their involvement in the creation of a rogue boxing organization. With this decision, the National Federation and all its members, including officials, coaches, and boxers, are prohibited from having any relationship with IBA and from participating in any of its, or any affiliated member competitions as enshrined in the IBA Constitution and IBA Technical and Competition Rules. The above-mentioned is an automatic mechanism triggered by the resignation email of USA Boxing received by the IBA yesterday," the IBA said in a statement on the website.
The association added that the USA Boxing's decision not only "hurt all their affiliates who will now not be able to take part in IBA's or affiliated member competitions, but it also deprives the boxing community as a whole from competing together and increasing the level of the talent within the boxing family."
In October 2022, the IBA announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to return to the ring and compete under their national flags. Following the admission of Russians, boxing associations of several countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, and Ukraine, refused to participate in the world championships. The IBA opened a disciplinary case against the heads of the national federations boycotting the championships.
In 2019, the IOC suspended the IBA, whose president is Russian national Umar Kremlev, from administering the boxing tournament at the Olympics as well as the qualifying events for the sport. The boxing tournament at the Tokyo Games was held by a special IOC commission. In June 2022, the IOC announced that the IBA will not be involved in the boxing tournament at the Olympics in Paris. Boxing is also not included in the preliminary program of the 2028 Olympics.
