Threat ahead of 2020 Oly

sufficient financial conditions” to run the tournament, citing “the dire situation of the sport of boxing.”

Relations between the IOC and AIBA are tense after Uzbekistan businessman Gafur Rakhimov was elected AIBA president in November, beating Kazakh candidate Serik Konakbayev.

The US. Treasury Department has alleged Rakhimov is a heroin trafficker linked to organized crime and placed him under sanctions. Rakhimov denies the allegations.

AIBA risks being derecognized in June after an IOC inquiry panel reports. Until then, AIBA is banned from contacting 2020 Tokyo Olympic organizers.

A person close to Kazakh boxing officials,

Rakhimov

speaking anonymously because they weren’t authorized to discuss the letter, told The Associated Press the copy published by AIBA was genuine. A leading figure at a national boxing federation, speaking anonymously because of possible retribution from AIBA leadership, said they had been approached to sign such a letter but had not done so. The IOC knows nothing about the plans, spokesman Mark Adams told the AP.

AIBA said it had launched a taskforce to investigate and discipline people involved in circulating the letter, accusing them of “sabotaging AIBA’s position within the Olympic movement.”

“AIBA assumes that the IOC has dismissed and distanced itself from any and all of these activities initiated by this group of individuals,” AIBA added. “The IOC has been contacted with regards to the letter, however, no response has been provided in return.”