Boxing Canada falls under international scrutiny

The International Boxing Association wants Canada’s high performance director Daniel Trepanier banned from the women’s world championships.

In a letter sent to Boxing Canada on Friday, the IBA said it had withdrawn Trepanier’s accreditation for the world championships that open Sunday in Istanbul.

The IBA also said in the letter, obtained by the Canadian Press, that its integrity officer and ethics committee would be reviewing claims against Trepanier and the national organization after 121 current and retired boxers — a number that has since grown to 233 — wrote to Sport Canada alleging a toxic culture in their sport.

“The safeguarding of athletes here in Istanbul is an absolute priority that I hope we share,” the IBA’s secretary general Istvan Kovacs said in his letter to Boxing Canada president Ryan Savage. “Meanwhile, the safeguarding of boxers and the boxing community more widely is, and will remain, a priority for the current IBA leadership team.”

Neither Trepanier nor the Canadian athletes had checked into their hotel Friday when the letter was sent, and the IBA planned to set aside Trepanier’s accreditation.

“I would ask you to urgently consider whether you feel Mr. Trepanier’s presence in Istanbul is appropriate and whether it would be appropriate to separate him from other members of your team with immediate effect,” the IBA wrote.

Kovacs asked for a response, “at which point the IBA will consider whether it is necessary to ask the IBA Ethics Committee to consider the case of Mr. Trepanier as a matter of urgency, with a view to a provisional sanction against him in order to safeguard participants here in Istanbul.”

Trepanier did not respond to a request seeking comment.

Canada has four women competing at the world championships, which are being held for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Priyanka Dhillon (48 kilogram division), Scarlett Delgado (54 kg), Charlie Cavanagh (66 kg), and Tammara Thibeault (75 kg).

“I would be grateful if you would please outline what measures you have already in place and/or intend to put in place to safeguard the members of your team currently participating in Istanbul from abuse,” Kovacs said. “Please be aware that IBA is likely to make contact directly with your team here, to inform them of the safeguarding measures that IBA has in place.”

World and national medallists were among the athletes who signed Wednesday’s letter asking both for an independent investigation and the resignation of Trepanier.

Three-time world champion Mary Spencer told the Canadian Press that Trepanier “should have been fired a long time ago.”

Two-time Canadian super heavyweight champion Chris Bernier alleged rampant favouritism.