February 08, (THEWILL) – The United States has decided not to send teams to the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships this year.
The national governing body, USA Boxing, cited ongoing failures and lack of respect for the Olympic Charter as reasons for their withdrawal. In a letter to USA Boxing members, executive director, Mike McAtee, listed several reasons for the decision including governance issues, financial irregularities, and lack of transparency.
IBA has sparked controversy by allowing boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete under their own flags and national anthems despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. This is in contravention of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendation to ban national symbols. USA Boxing expressed its concern over IBA’s failure to meet the requirements of the Lalovic Report, lack of neutral third-party oversight, false statements from IBA leadership, and dependence on sanctioned companies.
The IOC and IBA have been at odds for some time, with IBA being suspended by the IOC in 2019. Olympic boxing tournaments are now organised by the IOC, and the future of boxing in the Olympics is uncertain due to ongoing governance concerns. The IOC has warned that boxing could be dropped from the Paris 2024 Games, and the sport’s place in the Los Angeles 2028 Games is already in jeopardy.
Yet, Umar Kremlev, the Russian, who is President of IBA, was re-elected in May despite opposition from the Dutch candidate, Boris van der Vorst. The IOC expressed concern over Kremlev’s re-election, but majority of IBA members voted in favour of Kremlev.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
