FILE PHOTO: International Boxing Association(IBA) president Umar Kremlev reacts as he speaks to media at the opening ceremony of Women's World Boxing Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium in New Delhi, India, March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo
(Reuters) -The International Boxing Association has accused International Olympic Committee leaders of political bias after the IOC's sports director asked national federations to create a body it can work with so boxing can be included in the 2028 Games.
The IBA said in a statement on Thursday that the IOC leadership was interfering in the IBA's internal affairs and "violating the principles of its own Olympic charter".
The IOC stripped the Russian-led IBAof recognition last June, saying it had failed to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues.
"The IBA will not be involved in the organisation of the boxing tournament at (the Los Angeles Olympics 2028), should boxing be included in the sports programme," IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"So it's now up to the national federations to drive this change and to work to create a body that we can work in partnership with, because we cannot move forward with this current situation."
McConnell said his comments were in response to the "ongoing attempts of the IBA to associate themselves with the Olympic qualification events."
"This continued in Italy with presence on the ground and a number of media articles and statements creating an association with the event," he added.
The IBA responded by saying: "Circus management and clown behaviour from (IOC president) Thomas Bach's camp is apparent... we refuse to let boxing become a casualty of political agendas."
IBA president Umar Kremlev said in the statement that the IOC was trying to "strong-arm and threaten" the national federations affiliated with the IBA.
"We refute any notion that the IOC leadership decisions are final while legal processes are ongoing," he said.
When Reuters reached out to the IOC, they declined to comment on the IBA's allegations.
World Boxing, which launched in April last year and has 27 national federations, said on Wednesday it would seek recognition from the IOC to replace the IBA.
The IBA called World Boxing a "much hyped but ultimately superficial organisation."
"There is no alternative to the IBA as a governing body neither financially, nor in terms of organisation and experience," it said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis)
