International Olympics Committee to review IBA after shocking Ukraine ban
The IBA, led by Russian billionaire Umar Kremlev, suspended Ukraine last week, preventing the federation from voting at a convention that agreed not to organize a new presidential election.
The IBA does not recognize Kyrylo Shevchenko as the president of the Ukrainian federation, but rather Volodymyr Prodyvus, a Kremlev loyalist who fled Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February and is now an IBA vice-president.
The Ukrainian junior boxing team was instructed this week, in an unprecedented move, that they must participate under the IBA banner at the European championships in Italy.
Several fights were called off due to Ukrainian fighters refusing to enter the ring, with others quitting in support.
When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets in December, it will undertake a complete investigation into the International Boxing Association (IBA) and its suspension on the Ukraine National Boxing Federation (FBU). With the FBU unable to attend the IBA Congress, Russian businessman Umar Kremlev was elected as the organization’s president on Sunday in the Armenian city of Yerevan.
IBA statement on situation with Ukrainian athletes at EUBC Junior Championships in Montesilvano
Read more on our website: https://t.co/nj28dsvDeT pic.twitter.com/NQ094ZkO7I
— IBA (@IBA_Boxing) September 30, 2022
The IBA stated in a statement that its congress resolved not to hold new presidential elections, with delegates voting 106 against the proposal, 36 in favor, and four abstaining out of 146 qualified national federations. The FBU had written to IBA members on the Thursday before the vote, requesting that Kremlev stand down or be voted out of power. The IOC weighed in on the FBU’s behavior, as well as that of the Ukrainian junior boxing squad, which is competing under neutral status at the ongoing European championships in Italy, less than a week after Kremlev won the vote.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) expressed grave worry over the amateur boxing international body IBA’s suspension on Ukraine’s national federation, stating that it will undertake a thorough investigation at its next meeting in December. The Russian-led International Boxing Association is already on the verge of losing its Olympic Games slot because to long-standing governance, financial, and officiating concerns.
“The fact that the Ukrainian junior boxing team is not permitted to compete in the European Championship in Italy if they compete using national identifiers such as the national flag, anthem, or any other emblems of Ukraine adds to the many concerns already highlighted,” the IOC stated.
It had already warned last month that the sluggish pace of changes, as well as IBA’s financial reliance on Russian energy behemoth Gazprom, were major concerns.
