RIO DE JANEIRO • Amateur boxing's governing body Aiba has "re-assigned" its executive director Karim Bouzidi, who has operational control for the Olympic tournament, in the wake of corruption claims and concerns over judging decisions.

The move comes following an emergency board meeting on Thursday, a day after the organisation said a number of judges, believed to be at least six, would no longer officiate in Rio.

The International Boxing Association did not give a reason for the reassignment, nor did it confirm the names of the referees and judges sent home.

Algerian judge Kheira Sidi Yakoub, who officiated on the controversial Evgeny Tishchenko heavyweight bout, and Ireland's Michael Gallagher are among those who have not appeared since the decision was taken.

Boxing Canada said in a statement that "a global strategy is being put in place to pressure Aiba into addressing and correcting the situation following the questionable decisions and corruption allegations".

"Although small measures have been taken by Aiba, combined efforts with our partners will continue until the integrity of boxing is restored," it said.

During the Games there has been outrage from the Irish and American camps over certain decisions, which they believed favoured boxers from particular countries.

Among contentious bouts were the Russian heavyweight Tishchenko's heavyweight gold-medal bout victory over Kazakhstan's Vassiliy Levit, as well as Gary Antuanne Russell's loss in the American's light middleweight quarter-final to Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Gaibnazarov.

THE GUARDIAN