Olympics: Boxing chiefs blast 'persecution' over potential axe
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The International Boxing Association, whose president is Umar Kremlev of Russia (above), says the sport is a victim of “persecution” and “extortion”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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PARIS - Boxing chiefs claimed on Friday they are victims of “persecution” and “extortion” as their sport faces being axed from the Summer Games programme.
Olympic bosses upheld a ban on the International Boxing Association (IBA) earlier in December, insisting that the “drastic change of culture” requested in order to lift a suspension had not been implemented.
It was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019 for multiple corruption scandals, meaning boxing risks disappearing as an Olympic sport from the Paris Games in 2024.
Boxing only went ahead in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics after the IOC stepped in to ensure the qualification criteria.
However, the IBA, whose president is Umar Kremlev of Russia, blasted its critics on Friday.
“The Olympic Games are a global sporting asset that cannot be a tool of extortion of the International Sports Federations for purely political reasons,” the IBA said in a statement.
The association has come under fire for its governance, financial transparency and sustainability. Its major backer has been Russian energy giant Gazprom in a deal reportedly worth US$50 million (S$67 million). “It is clear that the persecution of IBA athletes will continue until ultimate control of boxing and its leadership has been achieved,” added its statement.
“The discrimination against you (the athletes) and IBA’s leadership and partners based on citizenship directly contradicts the Olympic Charter and only highlights the issue of athletes and sport being manipulated for geopolitical purposes. With the threat of boxing being removed from the 2024 programme, the IBA will continue to reach out to the senior leadership of IOC to work towards a de-escalation of this development and with a view to Los Angeles 2028.”
An IOC spokesman had said earlier on Friday that the IBA “has no real interest in the sport of boxing and the boxers, but is only interested in its own power”.
He added that the IBA extending its deal with Gazprom recently showed it had “no will to understand the real issues”.
“The extension of the sponsorship contract with Gazprom as sole main sponsor of IBA reinforces the concerns,” the spokesman said.
AFP, REUTERS
