MOSCOW, July 25, Oleg Bogatov. The initiative of the President of the International Boxing Association (IBA) Umar Kremlev to launch a public investigation against the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach will be supported by the world community, since for the sake of reprisal against one person, the IOC leadership is destroying the oldest sport, said the President of the Russian Wrestling Federation (RWF) Mikhail Mamiashvili.
On Wednesday, the head of the IBA Kremlev announced the launch of a public investigation against Bach and his team, recording all violations by the organization in relation to athletes. Kremlev said that the investigation will be transparent and will indicate «all corruption schemes, all pressure and threats to IOC members.»
«Umar Kremlev's initiative will naturally have a wide public resonance and can bring real benefits. Such criminal stupidity, which the IOC leadership is doing, is unacceptable. The IOC's extreme decision on the oldest sport was made only to deal with one person, it destroys the thousand-year-old traditions of boxing,» Mamiashvili said.
«I think that this initiative will certainly be supported by the world community,» the head of the FSBR added.
On Tuesday, the IOC excluded the IBA from the list of international sports federations recognized by the organization. In 2019, the IOC withdrew recognition of the IBA (then AIBA). The boxing tournament at the Tokyo Olympics was retained, but it was conducted by a special IOC commission. On June 21, 2023, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the IBA's urgent request to suspend the implementation of the IOC Executive Board recommendation. During an extraordinary session on June 22, 2023, the IOC accepted the recommendation of the organization's executive board not to return recognition to the IBA, since the association did not fulfill the necessary conditions set by the IOC in December 2021. The boxing tournament at the 2024 Olympics will again be held without the participation of the IBA.