IBA's appeal rejected, boxing's Olympic future in jeopardy

Boxing's future as an Olympic sport is in grave doubt | Photo Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

BOXING IBA's appeal rejected, boxing's Olympic future in jeopardy

Shafic Kiyaga 10:09 - 21.06.2023

The final confirmation of the decision is expected at an Extraordinary IOC Session scheduled for Thursday.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) has been unsuccessful in its appeal against the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to withdraw its recognition.

The IOC's executive board reached this decision earlier in the month due to concerns regarding governance and finance.

The final confirmation of the decision is expected at an Extraordinary IOC Session scheduled for Thursday.

In response to the ruling, which prevents the IBA from hosting a potential Olympic boxing tournament in Los Angeles in 2028, the organization lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

However, CAS has announced that the IBA's urgent request to halt the execution of the decision has been dismissed.

The challenged decision remains in effect, and the IOC Extraordinary Session remains unaffected.

As a consequence of this decision, boxing has been excluded from the initial program for the 2028 Olympics.

Despite this setback, there are hopes that boxing will be reinstated, and a new organization called World Boxing has been established with the intention of replacing the IBA.

It should be noted that boxing is still set to feature in the Olympic program for Paris 2024.

The possibility of reconciliation between the IOC and the IBA seems unlikely, particularly following the IOC's strong reaction to comments made by IBA president Umar Kremlev during the American Boxing Confederation Continental Forum in Brasilia.

They condemned the use of violent and threatening language, expressing their disappointment in Kremlev's derogatory remarks against individuals from the IOC.

The IOC emphasized that such incitement of hatred and defamatory accusations have no place in sport or any civilized debate.