Court of Arbitration for Sport Upholds IOC Decision to Remove International Boxing Association from Olympic Family

In a major blow to the International Boxing Association (IBA), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove the organization from the Olympic family. The ruling, announced on Tuesday, dismissed the IBA’s appeal, citing the organization’s failure to comply with the conditions set by the IOC for recognition.

The decision comes after years of dispute between the IOC and the IBA, with concerns raised about boxing’s governance, financial transparency, and the integrity of bouts. The IOC had long criticized the IBA for its reliance on money from Russian state energy firm Gazprom and its failure to implement governance reform measures.

Despite the ruling, boxing will still be featured as an Olympic sport in the upcoming Paris Games. However, the IOC will oversee the qualifying and medal tournaments without the involvement of the IBA, as was the case for the Tokyo Games in 2021.

The CAS panel appointed to hear the appeal found that the IBA had not met the IOC’s conditions for recognition, including increasing financial transparency, ensuring the integrity of referees and judges, and implementing governance reform measures. As a result, the panel determined that the IOC’s decision to withdraw recognition of the IBA was justified.

The IBA, led by Russian president Umar Kremlev, had previously stated that they would appeal to Switzerland’s supreme court if they lost their appeal at CAS. However, the organization has not yet responded to the latest ruling.

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