Court Denies Interim Management of Boxing Federation

(ATR) A months-long battle in the struggle to lead the International Boxing Association is won by president CK Wu, but it seems the war is far from over.

A Swiss magistrate ruled in favor of embattled president Wu to maintain his leadership of the federation on Sept. 25.

"AIBA has remained unified and confident that the Swiss Court would recognize the core values of integrity and transparency that the Association hold most important and that we stand for," Wu said in a statement.

"We have always been single-minded in our determination to continue working alongside and representing our 202 National Federations and the best interests of our sport.

"This we are now able to do without the unwelcome interference of the so-called IMC, whose legitimacy AIBA never recognized and has now formally been deemed illegal by the Swiss Court decision rendered today."

At AIBA’s Executive Committee meeting in Moscow on July 25, the majority of its members sought to remove Wu and executive director William Louis-Marie from control of the federation with the formation of an Interim Management Committee (IMC).

A spokesperson for the IMC tells Around the Rings the court rejected these measures but the executives respect the decision.

"The Swiss Court decision was to reject Provisional Measures in the management of AIBA until the Extraordinary Congress which is scheduled for November 12 in Dubai," ATR is told.

At the Moscow EC meeting, several executives called for the Extraordinary Congress where a motion of no confidence is expected to be held against Wu. Those in charge of the IMC believe Wu has mismanaged the finances of the federation with bad business deals while refusing to disclose these deals to AIBA’s National Federations.

A bevy of letters have been sent to the National Federations by both sides of the fight since the meeting in Moscow, with claims of dirty tricks, assassination plots and an endless barrage of finger pointing fueling the struggle.

The EC members who oppose Wu want their concerns to be fully addressed by the president before a vote of no confidence is held in Dubai. AIBA’s Executive Committee will also provide a statement to the National Federations regarding its position on Wu’s leadership.

"AIBA is currently in a critical position, and we look forward to the Congress so that we can have a full, transparent discussion and decide on the future direction of AIBA," the EC members said in a statement.

This war of words will likely continue until the vote is held on Nov. 12.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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