CAS sets date for IBA appeal against IOC expulsion
An appeal from the International Boxing Association (IBA) against its expulsion from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be heard in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on November 16, it was confirmed here today.
CAS, President John Coates, revealed the date during a presentation at the start of the third and final day of the IOC Session in India’s financial capital.
The hearing will be held at the headquarters of CAS in the Olympic capital, Lausanne.
In June, IBA had become the first governing body to be kicked out by the IOC.
It followed years of protracted concerns with its finances, governance and the credibility of boxing competitions which came to a fore with huge judging scandals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
IBA was initially suspended in 2019, leading to an IOC Task Force being formed to organise boxing in Tokyo 2020 and again in Paris 2024.
Relations between the IOC and IBA have deteriorated even further under the sport’s Russian President, Umar Kremlev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
The situation has left a big question mark over the future of boxing in the Games.
It was originally left off the programme for Los Angeles 2028 before IOC Director General, Christophe De Kepper, announced in the wake of IBA’s expulsion that it was guaranteed a spot.
Then, on the eve of the IOC Session, it was revealed that its place in the Californian city remained in doubt because a credible organisation to replace IBA had not yet emerged.
World Boxing, a breakaway group whose founding members included the United States and Great Britain, so far has only 16 members and attracted little support from Africa or Asia.
IOC President, Thomas Bach, warned here last week that World Boxing “don’t have sufficient global representation” to replace IBA.
Los Angeles 2028 chairman, Casey Wasserman, provided hope here yesterday that a solution to the problem would be found.
“Boxing really has a great history at the Olympics,” he said following his presentation to the IOC Session.
“It has a great history in America as a lineage of boxing champions, so we’d love to see boxing on the programme.
“But obviously it’s a decision that is going to be taken by the IOC and its membership given the complexities that exist with the Federation.
“So, we’re hopeful but all we can do is wait, like you, for the answer.” – Insidethegames.biz
