The International Boxing Association (IBA) has formally filed an appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal regarding the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling that upheld the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to expel the IBA in July 2023.
In a released statement, the IBA refuted the IOC’s stance and now seeks further elucidation on their rejected appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, prompting the Swiss Federal Tribunal to investigate the potential unlawfulness of the CAS ruling.
According to the IBA statement, “The acceptance of our appeal by the Swiss Federal Tribunal is a notable development for the boxing community, as very few cases reach this level of judicial review, underscoring the complexity of the matter.
“We firmly believe that the CAS misapplied the law, thereby unjustly dismissing our appeal against the IOC’s decision, rendering the CAS rejection illegitimate.”
The statement concluded: “IBA is confident that justice will prevail in the Swiss Federal Tribunal appeal and is eagerly anticipating the outcome of this inquiry.”
The IOC has been requested to provide a response.
Essentially, this represents the final recourse for the IBA, led by Russia, against the IOC’s expulsion decision, which paved the way for the newly established World Boxing Organization to potentially gain IOC recognition as the new global governing body for the sport.
An IOC-appointed Task Force will oversee the boxing tournament at the upcoming Paris Olympics. However, boxing is not included in the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The IOC is resolute in its decision to sever ties with the IBA, emphasizing that the only path for boxing to remain an Olympic sport is through sufficient national federations aligning with World Boxing to establish a credible alternative to the IBA.
Meanwhile, at the European Youth Championships conducted under the auspices of the IBA in Sarajevo over the weekend, Ireland secured a third-place finish in the medals table behind Russia and Armenia, securing two gold and five bronze medals.
Welterweight gold medalist John Donoghue (Mullingar Olympic BC) was recognized as the Male Boxer of the Tournament.
Donoghue currently holds the titles of world and European youth 66kg champion and is considered one of the most promising talents in the sport of boxing.
Notably, Russian boxers displayed exceptional dominance at the championships, amassing an impressive total of 22 medals, with all 16 of their boxers in Sunday’s finals clinching gold medals.
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) remains affiliated with the IBA. The primary argument for clubs to remain within the IBA’s sphere is that failing to align with World Boxing would prevent underage boxers in Ireland from competing for European and world medals.
Ultimately, the IABA will need to make a decision because, if the IOC decides to reintroduce boxing to the Olympic program in the next four years, it is likely that only boxers associated with national federations linked to World Boxing will be eligible to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
