IOC ends ties with AIBA putting boxing in doubt for Tokyo Olympics

IOC ends ties with AIBA putting boxing in doubt for Tokyo Olympics

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International Olympics Committee has dissolved all relations with International Boxing Association (AIBA) and didn't accredit interim president Gafur Rakhimov for the Youth Olympics. IOC issued a statement during their meeting in Buenos Aires and revealed that they are freezing all relations.

Earlier in February this year, IOC released a statement that they were not in the favour of the nomination of the Uzbekistan businessman Gafur Rakhimov as AIBA’s interim presidency, but the governing body of the sport didn't lend their ear to the concern and let him take over the role. IOC's major reason for the opposition of Rakhimov came from the fact that the businessman has been linked to organized crime by the US Treasury Department. IOC has already stopped their contributions to the AIBA and although they allowed Boxing in the upcoming youth Olympics, they have clarified about they have started their preparation to kick out AIBA out of the Olympic movement.

“The IOC is freezing all contacts with AIBA, except the ones on the working level which are necessary to implement the respective IOC decisions - for this reason, Rakhimov will not be accredited for the Youth Olympic Games,” they added, “these include the circumstances of the establishment of the election list,” IOC said, reported PTI.

On Wednesday, AIBA announced that Rakhimov is the only candidate who keeps the ability to run the presidency post after Serik Konakbayev, a Kazakh who won an Olympic silver medal, in Moscow, in 1980 for the USSR, backed out. Meanwhile, the AIBA constitution already specified that if there is only one candidate, there won’t be any voting procedure, as stated by the constitution.

“While boxing will be part of the competition at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, it had “required independent oversight of the refereeing and judging...to protect the integrity of the competition and ensure the protection of the athletes,” said IOC.  

IOC’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Paquerette Girard Zappelli wrote a letter to Rakhimov suggesting not to stand for the AIBA president's post. 

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