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Boxing at Paris Olympics under threat as IOC questions AIBA governance


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Boxing's place at the 2024 Olympics is under threat, with the IOC deeply concerned with the governance of the AIBA. 

International Olympic Committee director general Christophe De Kepper has written to AIBA president Umar Kremlev demanding the implementation of several reforms.

Boxing is by far Ireland's most successful sport at the summer Olympics, accounting for 18 of the country's 35 medals.

Kellie Harrington and Aidan Walsh were Ireland's two most recent boxing medalists from the Tokyo games.

AIBA was not involved in the 2020 Olympic competition, with its status as an Olympic governing body suspended by the IOC in 2019.

The IOC had taken issue with Gafur Rakhimov's AIBA presidency. Despite the controversial Uzbek stepping down in March of 2019, the IOC said many leadership issues needed to be resolved.

In De Kepper's letter to Kremlev, he wrote: ""Considering the remaining many unresolved concerns, the IOC Executive Board asked the IOC director general and the IOC chief ethics and compliance officer to follow up on AIBA’s situation and to analyse all the elements requested, as well as the results of the various independent experts’ conclusions, in the view of potential decisions by the IOC Session.

"On the basis of the above, the IOC Executive Board restated its deepest concerns and reiterated its previous position regarding the place of boxing in the programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and future editions of the Olympic Games."

AIBA say wide-ranging reforms are in the offing, responding to the IOC, "AIBA has been working on comprehensive reform for some time now and is grateful for the IOC’s public acknowledgment that a step forward has certainly been taken in terms of good governance, as confirmed by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.

"Wide-ranging reforms are already underway in terms of financial integrity, good governance and sporting integrity, including all the areas mentioned by the IOC and more.

"Independent experts are involved in each of these sectors.

"AIBA is confident these reforms will see AIBA meet and even exceed the criteria laid down by the IOC for reinstatement."

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AIBA Boxing IOC International Olympic Committee Olympic Games Olympics Paris 2024

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