Lausanne, Mar 3, 2014: It is with much regret that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Executive Committee (EC) has decided to end any official relationship with its current suspended member, the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) after an extensive evaluation and assessment of all issues surrounding the sport of boxing in India.
“As AIBA President and on behalf of the entire boxing family, I am expressing my deepest regret and sadness that we had to make this decision”, stated Dr Ching-Kuo Wu. “AIBA has always regarded India as one of the most important members of its family, but it has become impossible for us to bear the hard feelings, the pain and suffering the boxers as well as the boxing family in India had to go through under the past and recent leadership which has also been damaging the image, reputation and interest of our sport in the country.
After the suspension since December 6, 2012, AIBA has not recognized any official activities and did not support the officers from this National Federation for almost 16 months. However, AIBA promised itself to review the situation in IABF when the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) gets its suspension lifted by IOC. Nevertheless, before and after the IOA election and lifting of suspension, AIBA received different claims from various groups of people on the way the sport of boxing was managed in India and it has therefore now become totally impossible for AIBA to make proper judgments in terms of handling the National Federation’s affairs in India.
“It is believed that the only way to get the sport of boxing back on track in India would be for it to be left in the hands of trustful, clean and honest people who love boxing and to give the opportunity to any group of people with passion and love for our sport to submit applications for the establishment of a new National Federation. AIBA will however not tolerate any governmental or sports authority interference in this process.”
Based on the reasons set out above and in accordance with article 18.2 of the AIBA Statutes, the IABF is now provisionally excluded from AIBA Membership as of today. The AIBA EC will make a final decision and rehabilitate a National Federation for boxing in India as soon as it deems that it has found the right group of people who will support the principles of AIBA in terms of ethics and fairness and who care primarily about the boxers and our beloved sport and not about their personal interests.
Boxers and coaches will remain protected and authorized to compete at any competition at all levels under the AIBA flag. AIBA also hopes that the IOA will give its full cooperation until AIBA approves a new National Federation for the sake of the sport of boxing in India.
AIBA will now wait for requests by any organization or person to submit an application and once contacted, full guidelines for the new application process will be given. —- AIBA
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