OLYMPIC CRISIS DEEPENS
AIBA ignore the dire warnings of the IOC and elect Rakhimov, writes John Dennen
HOW far will AIBA test the patience of the International Olympic Committee? The IOC had made it clear that electing Gafur Rakhimov as their permanent president was a step too far, reserving the right to expel boxing from the Olympic Games as soon as Tokyo 2020. That threat was clear.
There was a way for AIBA to step back. Initially Rakhimov was place on the election ballot unopposed. But after appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Serik Konakbayev had been allowed to stand against him in the election. That was a way for AIBA to move back from the crisis point. Yet on November 3, at the AIBA Congress in Moscow, AIBA members voted to make Rakhimov president. Rakhimov received 86 votes, a “convincing majority”.
Rakhimov has been sanctioned by the United States Treasury department, who describe him as “one of Uzbekistan’s leading criminals”. He denies allegations of wrongdoing and is appealing to be removed from the sanctions list. But the IOC has repeatedly emphasised their extreme concern at Rakhimov taking over AIBA.
Boxing could be thrown out of the Olympic Games, or the IOC could refuse to recognise AIBA and create a new body to administer Olympic boxing.
A spokesperson for the IOC said: “The IOC has made it clear from the outset that there are issues of grave concern with AIBA regarding judging, finance, and the anti-doping programme, and with governance which includes but is not limited to the election of the AIBA President. As planned, we will now carefully evaluate all these areas at the next IOC Executive Board meeting in Tokyo on the November 30– December 2. It should also be noted that any further actions by the IOC will be taken not simply on decisions and statements by AIBA, but also by the successful implementation of such decisions and a clear roadmap for long term sustainable reform of the federation.”
The IOC will make efforts to protect the athletes and have a boxing tournament in 2020. But that may not be possible. It is by no means guaranteed. All the IOC’S previous sanctions remain in place, including freezing all contacts with AIBA except those on a working level necessary to implement IOC decisions and reserving the right to expel boxing from the Olympics.
Nevertheless Rakhimov said, “As an organisation, we at AIBA have made huge progress. We moved forward in our transparency, our governance, our statutes, our refereeing and judging rules, our anti-doping and our finance procedures.”
Addressing the Olympics, he claimed, “We are committed to continue improving in any area you feel we should improve.
“On behalf of the boxers of the world, we are extending to you an olive branch in the name of Olympism. AIBA and the Olympics belong together.”
Olympic boxing remains in utter meltdown. Over halfway through the Olympic cycle, the men’s weight divisions that would be contested at Tokyo have not been confirmed, if boxing is even still an Olympic sport by then.