Paris Olympics 2024: boxing body IBA says it may appeal after CAS upholds IOC decision to withdraw recognition
- International Boxing Association was stripped of its Olympic recognition in June over its failure to complete required reforms
- It appealed but was dismissed, meaning the sport needs to find a new governing body before the 2028 Los Angeles Games
The International Boxing Association (IBA) said on Wednesday it is analysing a decision by global sport’s top court to dismiss its appeal against the withdrawal of its Olympic recognition and it may take the case to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided in June to strip the IBA of recognition over its failure to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues.
The IBA appealed, and a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing took place in November.
On Tuesday, the CAS rejected the IBA’s appeal.
The IBA said in a press release on Wednesday that it had made considerable progress in the areas mentioned by CAS, and that the court and the IOC had overlooked its extensive reforms.
It accused the CAS of bias and said it was “far from independent” of the IOC, and that it had used “oversimplified language” in its statement from the previous day to uphold the ban.
“The IBA will refrain from further comments until the CAS award has been thoroughly analysed by its legal experts which is taking place right now to draw a conclusion whether the organisation appeals to the Swiss Federal Tribunal,” it added.
Should the IBA decide to appeal at the Federal Tribunal, it would face a difficult case because under Swiss law, the tribunal will act only if procedural requirements are not fulfilled or the CAS ruling might breach national law.
Rival body World Boxing said last month it would seek recognition from Olympic organisers to replace the IBA and keep the sport on the programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The IOC said it welcomed the decision by CAS and it was now up to the national boxing federations and national Olympic committees (NOCs) to find a partner international federation by next year at the latest to keep the sport in the Olympics.
“To keep boxing on the Olympic programme, the IOC needs a recognised and reliable International Federation as a partner, as with all the other Olympic sports,” it said in a statement.
Boxing remains part of this year’s Paris Games but as it was in 2021 in Tokyo, qualifying and the Olympic tournament is run by the IOC. However, the Olympic body has repeatedly said it could not continue doing that.
“The NOCs and national boxing federations thus hold the future of Olympic boxing in their own hands, and the required actions cannot be clearer,” the IOC said.
“At the moment, boxing is not on the sports programme for the Olympic Games LA28. In order to remedy this, the IOC needs to have a partner International Federation for boxing by early 2025.”
