The AIBA Executive Committee convened in Moscow on 24-25 July to continue the progress made over the past ten months for the development of world boxing. Key decisions were reached on the host cities for AIBA’s flagship international events, KPMG presented their financial audit which was approved, and ahead of the start of an exciting new partnership for world boxing, Alisports delivered their vision for the global growth of the sport and for unleashing AIBA’s marketing and online potential.
“In my position as this organisation’s President, a voluntary role for which I claim no salary, AIBA since Rio 2016 has undertaken to instigate a new era for boxing based on its key values of integrity and transparency and the difficult decisions that come with such duties. This policy has already seen us able to scale up our events and bring in new sponsors and partners. These two days of intensive meetings have truly confirmed the positive direction that AIBA has taken over the past ten months, but the emergence of a negative faction within the Executive Committee that appears to be bent on creating a false narrative in the media is undermining the organisation’s attempts to move boxing forward. I was elected by and work for over 100 National Federations, not 13 members of the Executive Committee.”
“Over the past two days, this faction’s focus on political manoeuvring rather than the dynamic presentations that have shown the bright future of our sport speaks volumes about their priorities, but nonetheless important decisions were made that leave me with the responsibility to build this new age for boxing. When members of the Executive Committee threaten to walk out of their meeting before having heard the financial audit and reports they requested, it makes me question their motives for being on the Executive Committee of a sport they claim to love, while focussing on personal agendas and privileges. These individuals have been on the powerful Executive Committee for years and have been integral in all decision-making. The indifference they have shown to the development of boxing has been in marked contrast to the unity and hard work shown by AIBA staff,” said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu.
The Executive Committee unanimously approved the KPMG audit and financial reports, and were pleased to receive solid factual and documented elements showing that AIBA’s alleged responsibility to repay an FCIT investment of $19m is groundless, contrary to media reports. KPMG’s representative presented the EC with an audit for the first time in three years, noting the improved financial transparency and cooperation since Rio 2016. It was agreed that the financial situation and positive forecasts, with significant increases in hosting fees sponsorship and licensing income, will be communicated to all AIBA member federations in the second half of the year.
The hosting rights for the 2019 and 2021 Men’s World Boxing Championships were awarded to the Russian city of Sochi and India’s capital New Delhi, the Women’s World Championships for 2018 and 2019 to Trabzon in Turkey and New Delhi respectively, and Moscow will host the 2018 AIBA Congress.
The strength of AIBA’s Confederations was underlined during presentations by their respective Presidents that reflected on strong development programmes, including the ground-breaking Year of Africa legacy project, and the five Continental Championships held earlier in the year that qualified 260 boxers for what will be the most high-profile AIBA World Championships to date in Hamburg
In the next three months, an Extraordinary Congress will be held to examine the issues that have emerged within the EC members over the past two days in complete transparency with AIBA’s 201 member federations.