‘Inept’ judges sent home
BOXING: Governing body admits results ‘not at the level expected’
According to the International Boxing Association (AIBA), there’s a difference between being inept and corrupt and, following an internal investigation, amateur boxing’s governing body sent home an unnamed group of referees and judges from the Olympic boxing tournament.
But there remains voices within AIBA who say the issue revolves around the integrity of the organization, not the performance of a few judges, and those voices didn’t back down on Wednesday.
The boxing controversy at the Olympic Games took another turn on Wednesday with AIBA’s announcement, coupled with the news that Vladimir Nikitin — who won a contentious decision over Ireland’s Michael Conlan in their 56 kg fight on Tuesday — would be unable to make his semifinal fight with American Shakur Stevenson on Thursday. Nikitin suffered cuts and bruises against Conlan in their bout.
After the Russian was given a unanimous decision, Conlan raised his middle finger to ringside officials and pronounced, “They’re f------ cheats. They’re known to be cheats. Amateur boxing stinks from the core right to the top.”
In the aftermath of Conlan’s diatribe, AIBA issued a statement Wednesday saying they had reviewed 239 fights in Rio and, “all but a handful of the decisions were not at the level expected.”
As a result, “It has been decided by the AIBA R and J (referees and judges) commission that the concerned referees and judges will no longer officiate at the Rio 2016 Olympics. In accordance with AIBA rules, the results of all the bouts will stand.”
As to the charges of corrupt officiating, AIBA said, “Unless tangible proof is put forward, not rumours, we will continue to use any means, including legal or disciplinary actions, to protect our sport.”
It was widely reported on Tuesday that several countries were discussing public action, including taking the corruption allegations to the press as a united front.
It’s now unclear if that will happen in Brazil.