Breakaway federation threat grows as USA Boxing promises keeping sport in Olympics is "top priority"
By Duncan Mackay
USA Boxing executive director and chief executive Mike McAtee has warned IBA President Umar Kremlev that they do not back his continued attacks on the IOC ©Team USA
International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev has been accused by his biggest critics of putting the interest of himself above those of the athletes he represents and warned that a rival organisation could be set up to try to guarantee the sport's future in the Olympic Games.
Boxing had already been left off the programme for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and has now been threatened with removal from Paris 2024.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued the threat after the IBA renewed a multi-million-dollar contract with Russia's state energy supplier Gazprom and a veiled warning from Kremlev that they would not give permission for its fighters and officials to take part in events they were not involved in.
The IOC ran the boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020 because of concerns over the sport's governance and financial situation and are due to oversee it again at Paris 2024.
As insidethegames was the first to report last week, Kremlev responded by claiming he was being persecuted by the IOC because he is Russian and accused them of manipulating boxing "for geopolitical purposes", which he alleged is against its own Olympic Charter.
While Kremlev retains the support of many national governing bodies, IBA's biggest and historically its most important member, USA Boxing, has signalled that they do not back his stance and warned they will explore ways to keep the sport on the Olympic programme.
"While it is clear that the future of Olympic boxing is in jeopardy, USA Boxing remains fully committed to supporting the IOC’s clear requirements for readmission into the Olympic movement: prioritizing (sic) the needs of boxers (athletes), fair play, proper governance, ethical leadership, and financial stability to meet the requirements to keep boxing in the Olympic program," USA Boxing executive director and chief executive Mike McAtee wrote in an open letter to its members.
"IBA President Kremlev was recently quoted in an IBA web post dated December 11, 2023,'…The IOC must hear us.
"We have the same goals as them, to create the best conditions for the athletes.
"'We should fight for our sport at the Olympics.
"'I want to stress that not a single boxer, coach or National Federation will be participating in the Olympic Games without IBA.
"'This is a request from the boxers…'
"USA Boxing is concerned that IBA is prioritizing (sic) its own role in the Olympics above the interests of the boxers.
"To be clear, Kremlev’s statement is the opinion of one person who does not speak for all 38,000+ USA Boxing's boxers or other National Federations and their boxers.
"Boxers, coaches and officials have been participating in Olympic Qualification and the Olympic Games without the participation by IBA, most recently throughout the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle.
"Olympic-style boxing is and has been in the Olympic movement continually from 1904 to 2020, while IBA has not.
"The IBA President and/or the Board of Directors do NOT have the constitutional authority to deny boxers, coaches, or officials from participating in boxing at local, national, and certainly not Olympic Qualification and Olympic Games level competitions, without specific violations of the rules and without judicial process.
"USA Boxing officially rejects Kremlev’s false and misleading statement."
In his letter, McAtee disputes Kremlev's repeated claims that Olympic boxing should not be the most important goal of IBA's priorities.
"Since the onset of IBA’s suspension in 2019, USA Boxing has monitored the progress of IBA in meeting the requirements for reinstatement," McAtee wrote.
"USA Boxing’s leadership has provided full transparency with its concerns of the lack of progress made by IBA as well as statements from IBA President Kremlev claiming that the Olympics are only one of several priorities for the international federation’s long-term plans.
"To be clear, maintaining Olympic recognition is not simply one of USA Boxing’s priorities, it is the top priority.
"However, USA Boxing fully understands that Olympic recognition is not a right, but a privilege.
"USA Boxing’s stated position has not changed,
"The future of boxing as an Olympic sport is in doubt, and the IOC has made it clear that unless significant changes are made, it will not be included in the program for the Paris 2024 Olympics and beyond.
"This represents a critical threat to the future of the sport, both at the elite level and grassroots.
"We have a responsibility and a duty to everyone connected with the sport to explore all possibilities and do everything we can to ensure boxing's continued inclusion in the Olympic games, thereby providing opportunities and inspiration for boxers across the world and for all future generations."
The United States is the most successful country in Olympic boxing history, winning a total of 117 medals, including 50 gold.
American boxers have produced some of the Olympics' most iconic moments and gold medallists have included Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Oscar De La Hoya.
"The USA has a rich history of Olympic-style boxing, and we have won more Olympic medals than any other country," McAtee wrote in his letter.
"As a leading National Federation within the sport, it is USA Boxing’s responsibility to work with our partners and stakeholders, specifically the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, National Federations and the boxing community, to do everything within our collective power to help the sport meet the requirements for inclusion in the Olympic Movement.
"This responsibility is not simply for the Paris 2024 or LA 2028 Olympics, but for the long-term future of Olympic boxing.
"USA Boxing remains fully committed to this objective and will continue to pursue all possible measures to ensure boxing’s presence within the Olympic Movement."
The threat of a rival world governing body being formed was one echoed by Boris van der Vorst, President of the Dutch Boxing Federation.
It was van der Vorst being blocked twice this year standing against Kremlev for President at IBA elections, including at an Extraordinary Congress in Yerevan in September after the Court of Arbitration for Sport had ruled he should be allowed to participate, which has partly triggered the latest crisis.
"We cannot afford for boxing to be eliminated from the Olympic Program in Paris 2024," he wrote on Twitter following Kremlev’s latest attack last week on the IOC.
"We have to keep fighting for its re-inclusion in LA 2028.
"We have to do it with or without the IBA."
