International Boxing Association (IBA) president, Umar Kremlev has said that they have fulfilled all the reform criteria and that dropping boxing from the Olympics would be an injustice.
Kremlev urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to acknowledge the Association’s reliable financial system and the inclusion of active and former boxers on the board of directors, in accordance with the judging and system reforms.
He added that the International Boxing Association is one of the ten most efficient and successful associations globally, and there is no reason for its exclusion from the Olympics.
“We are not going to allow anyone to remove boxing from the Olympics. Those who seek the exclusion of the IBA from the Olympic Games will be considered criminals,” he said.
Kremlev hoped that both parties could sit down at the negotiation table and find a solution, rather than exchanging emails, as this misunderstanding could be resolved in a day.
In 2019, the IOC suspended IBA due to concerns over finance and governance issues, which led to the exclusion of the organization from boxing events during the Tokyo Olympics.
Tensions between the two sports bodies further escalated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the previous year, which put further strain on their already troubled relationship.
In October, IBA made the controversial decision to defy IOC guidance and allow Russian and Belarusian boxers to compete under their flags, thereby lifting a ban on them.
