(Paris) The International Boxing Federation (IBA) announced on Thursday a “series of actions” aimed at protecting its status as an “official” world body, after the launch of a dissident organization called “World Boxing”.
“These actions are intended to provide absolute clarity to the 204 national federations regarding the unequivocal threat facing the global boxing community,” the IBA said in a statement.
On Thursday, a group of national federations led by the United States and Great Britain announced the creation of ‘World Boxing’, a rival organization to the IBA, in a bid to secure their sport’s place in the Olympics. .
This new federation is in direct competition with the IBA, an institution suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for more than three years due to governance problems. A conflict that compromises the future of boxing on the Olympic program.
To counter this new organization, the IBA announced that it reserves the right “to claim damages from anyone who harms the activities and reputation of the IBA, and/or who tries to obtain the exclusion of the IBA from the Olympic family”.
She also warned that federations that join “World Boxing” will be kicked out of the IBA and their officials declared ineligible.
“The IBA is asserting itself as the official world body for boxing despite attacks by a dissident organization on its independence,” she said.
According to World Boxing, many national federations around the world have already expressed interest in joining the new structure.
