IBA tells U.S. boxers to defy worlds snub
The president of the International Boxing Association is offering financial support to boxers who defy a U.S.-initiated boycott of the upcoming world championships, which he said was decided by people “worse than hyenas and jackals.”
USA Boxing and the Irish Boxing Association said this week they will not send teams to the women's worlds next month or the men's championships in May. They cited longstanding governance issues at the IBA, which is suspended from the Olympics, and the IBA's decision to allow Russia and its ally Belarus to compete with flags and anthems after the invasion of Ukraine.
“Those who are doing this to our athletes are worse than hyenas and jackals, they violate the integrity of sport and culture,” IBA president and Russian businessman Umar Kremlev said at a tournament in Morocco, according to an account of the event on the association's website. “IBA will do its utmost to help athletes from the USA to come and participate in the world boxing championships and will assist them, including financially.”
IBA called the U.S. and Irish statements damaging to its reputation and “based on defamatory half truths.” IBA added it “will pursue strong sanctions” against officials who initiate and join any boycott.
The world championships were traditionally the pinnacle of a strictly amateur boxing system. Since Kremlev took office and signed a major sponsorship deal with Russian state gas company Gazprom, the IBA now offers prize money — up to $200,000 for a gold medal at the men's championships.
USA Boxing said only half that amount was on offer for the women's winners and criticized a “lack of equality,” and said it was not clear where the money was coming from.
Ireland said it would not send any fighters, referees or judges to the world championships. That means no title defense for Irish world champions Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O'Rourke in New Delhi next month.
“IBA practices and activities are not of the standard required to secure our sport's future. There are no winners in the current landscape,” the Irish Athletic Boxing Association said. “All members deserve a level playing field in tournaments run to the highest possible standard by an organization which has their welfare, their futures, and their sport at its heart.”
The world championships have lost their usual status as a qualifier for the Olympics after the IBA, then known as AIBA, was suspended by the IOC in 2019. The IOC had concerns about the association's then-perilous finances and a history of suspect decisions by referees and judges in Olympic bouts.
The IOC is organizing Olympic qualifiers at continental events like the PanAmerican Games and will administer the tournaments at next year's Paris Games.
Favre seeks dismissal of suits against him
Brett Favre's lawyers filed papers again Friday asking a Mississippi judge to dismiss the retired NFL quarterback from a lawsuit that demands repayment of millions of dollars of welfare money intended to help some of the poorest people in the U.S.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services last year sued Favre and more than three dozen other people or businesses. The suit says money from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program was improperly spent, including on projects Favre supported: $5 million for a volleyball arena at the university where Favre's daughter played the sport and $1.7 million toward development of a concussion treatment drug.
“It is apparent that MDHS has sued Favre, a Mississippi and national celebrity, to try to deflect responsibility for its own egregious wrongdoing in allowing tens of millions of dollars of its public funds to be misspent — funds for which MDHS itself admits it was `exclusively responsible,'” said the filing by Favre's lawyers.
Favre, who lives in Mississippi, sought to be dismissed from the state lawsuit in November, then the state revised its demand against him in December. The filing responds to the state's December demand.
The latest attempt to get out of the state lawsuit came a day after Favre filed three defamation lawsuits against Mississippi Auditor Shad White and two former NFL players who have sharply criticized Favre in their roles as national sportscasters — Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe.
On his podcast Friday, McAfee scoffed at the defamation suit. He said he received a “warning shot” from Favre's lawyers before it was filed, in a letter that demanded he erase every video he had recorded that included mentions of Favre and the alleged misspending of welfare money.
“I looked at that. I said, `That is hilarious.' Of course we're not doing that,” McAfee said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
McAfee said Favre's lawyers also demanded that he publicly apologize to Favre by Wednesday evening. Talking to others in his studio, McAfee said: “I'm one of the worst apologizers in the world.”
In the lawsuit against McAfee, Favre said McAfee had used “outrageous falsehoods” that included calling Favre a “thief” who was “stealing from poor people in Mississippi.” McAfee said Friday that the lawsuit used quotes from him that were “certainly accurate.” He said he frequently said “allegedly” when discussing Favre.
Chock, Bates lead after short program
Madison Chock and Evan Bates began preparing for the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships even before they were crowned U.S. ice dance champions for the fourth time in their careers. It's clearly paying off. Chock and Bates took the lead after the rhythm dance at Four Continents in Colorado Springs, scoring 87.67 points to their program. That was enough to edge Canadian champs Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen, who scored 86.28 points, and Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who scored 79.04 points.
“We were prepared and we let our training carry us into this week,” said Chock, who with Bates won Four Continents in 2019 and '20. “It feels so good to be skating the way we are training.”
In the women's event, South Korean Haein Lee rode a personal-best free skate to vault from sixth to first. Lee had 210.84 points to edge countrywoman Yelim Kim, who had 209.29 points. Mone Chiba broke up the South Korean sweep by taking the bronze for Japan.
Isabeau Levito, the 15-year-old American champion who was second after the short program, withdrew with an illness.
Service today for USC's, Rams' White
A celebration of life with be held today for former USC running back and Heisman Trophy winner Charles White. The event is open to all fans and is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest.
White died of cancer on Jan. 11 at the age of 64. One of the most decorated athletes in college football history, the San Fernando High graduate also played for the NFL's Rams in the 1980s.
White won the 1979 Heisman Trophy and helped USC win the 1978 national championship. After college, White struggled with addiction and in later years suffered dementia.
FIFA announces top player shortlists
It's Lionel Messi vs. Kylian Mbappé again, this time for the FIFA Best Men's Player award for 2022.
Argentina's World Cupwinning captain and France's star forward head the three-player shortlist announced by FIFA, eight weeks after leading their teams in the final in Qatar.
Karim Benzema completed the top three in the voting by a global panel of national team captains and coaches plus selected journalists, as well as fans voting online.
In the Best Women's Player award, Beth Mead of England, Alex Morgan of the U.S. and Spain's Alexia Putellas were on the shortlist. Winners will be announced Feb. 27 in Paris.