7 months ago
24
JAMAICA BOXING Association president Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones says, while his organisation is one of 28 members to join breakaway group World Boxing, there is no enmity between it and the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Jones’ claims came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the IBA’s appeal against the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to strip the world governing body for boxing of recognition, after failure to complete governance, financial and ethical reforms.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, boxing was organised by the IOC amid concerns over the IBA’s finance, governance, ethics, refereeing and judging practices, and will again do so at the Paris Games later this year.
However, after the result of the CAS appeal, the IOC has said it cannot do so for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
With the writing already on the wall over the IBA’s exclusion from the Olympics, a breakaway group, World Boxing, became a body claiming to organise the sport on a global level, with the IBA hitting back, saying its legitimacy as the association to manage the sport’s governance could not be usurped.
The Umar Kremlev-led IBA says it will take legal advice before deciding to take the case to an appeal before the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
However, with the status of the IBA in question, and with World Boxing now stepping to the fore, national boxing federations are now contemplating how they are going to foster a relationship with two world governing bodies for boxing.
In response, Jones explained that Jamaica could not give up trying to participate in the Olympics, and, with the IBA stripped of its recognition, had no second thoughts about joining World Boxing.
“Jamaica was proactive in going on board with World Boxing, as were USA Canada, English, and Nigeria boxing. We went along with World Boxing when we saw that IBA was expelled.
“I have respectfully been in full conversation with the IBA. We explained our position that there was no way Jamaica could not be a part of the Olympics.
“CAS is the highest court level they can go. So, if this holds, the IBA will not be a part of the Olympic movement. So, while the IOC had expelled them, we wanted to ensure that we had a good footing with anyone coming in,” he said.
IBA constitution
He noted that, based on the IBA’s constitution, national associations are not permitted to be a part of another international body.
However, Jones believes the best way forward is for the IBA to adjust its constitution, as there is room enough for two international organisations.
“World Boxing has no issue with other countries competing in competitions that are not World Boxing sanctioned, “ he said.
“But the IBA has not been of that mindset before. But they never had to.
“So, if the IBA does not change their constitution to allow that, then that is where the challenge could be and it could cause a big divide.
“If they do, which I would love, change the constitution and allow associations to be a part of another organisation, then it would be the best of both worlds.
“The IBA will continue to do their own activity, but they will not be a part of the Olympic charter.
“So, as it is now, the IBA is still pushing and finding exactly where their footing is. We can only, as federations, do what we have to and take it from there.”
Although the situation has put boxing at the 2028 Olympics in doubt, Jones is confident boxing and Jamaican boxers will be at the games, and all the others thereafter.
“I believe 2028 will definitely have boxing at the Olympics. Whatever the pathway is, we will take the steps.
“This battle is at a top level but it will not trickle down to us where it will affect us. So we are confident boxing will always be at the Olympics.
“At the amateur level, the highest level a boxer gets to is the Olympics. The IOC said another international body has to be approved by the federation, and I think that, within months if not weeks, more federations will come in support of the entity that is World Boxing, to cover the sport of boxing at least at the Olympic level.”
English (US) ·