Boxing of the Americas joins AIBA reforms with the election of Puerto Rican José Laureano

The Puerto Rican José Laureano, new head of the Boxing Confederation of the Americas, assured that all the candidates to the presidency of that organization had a common objective: to save boxing in the program of the future Olympic Games. But the responsibility is now his.

Coach and president of the Puerto Rican Federation since 2016, Laureano clearly won this Thursday the elections for the presidency of the AMBC with 17 votes out of 32.

He was followed by Luisa Benitez of Venezuela with seven, Tyson Lee of the United States with five, and Brazil’s Fabiano Borges with one. Two votes were invalidated.

The AMBC assembly was held in a “hybrid” form at the headquarters of the Brazilian Olympic Committee in Rio de Janeiro. Some of the 32 delegates entitled to vote did so by secret ballot via online voting from their home countries.

Laureano, who was re-elected head of the Puerto Rican Federation last November, assured Around the Rings that “there is no need to worry” about alleged disunity after the elections.

“Before the vote, and after, the four candidates met with the commitment to support each other whatever the outcome, under the same purpose: to save Olympic boxing,” he said.

“There will be no disunity, on the contrary, I can guarantee it,” Laureano told ATR. He ratified his objectives set out in his program, among them, to fight for a restructuring of AIBA that will allow it to regain IOC recognition.

With these elections, the AMBC fulfilled the aspirations of the new AIBA leadership to concretize a renewal process in the continental confederations, while it continues under pressure and sanctions from the IOC that prevented it from organizing the Olympic tournament in Tokyo.

Two weeks ago, the IOC reiterated in a letter to AIBA that it maintains “deep” concerns in areas that led to its sanction, citing governance, finance, refereeing and judges.

In a statement, AIBA president Umar Kremlev of Russia expressed confidence that the reforms he is implementing will soon “bring AIBA to meet and even exceed the criteria set by the IOC for reinstatement.”

Laureano hopes to see AIBA again hosting an Olympic tournament, with the next one in less than three years’ time in Paris.

The election of Laureano, head coach in Puerto Rico in several Olympic cycles, coincided with the publication of the first report on the investigation of alleged corruption in the verdict scheme of several fights in the Rio 2016 Olympic tournament.

The investigations are being conducted by the independent team of Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, at the request of AIBA.

All 36 referees and judges acting in Rio were suspended after the Olympic competition, including several from the Americas. None worked in Tokyo.

“We cannot allow situations like in the past to happen again. There will be no room for dishonesty,” said the new president of the AMBC, after hearing about the detectives’ press conference.

Laureano made his statements after meeting with the then interim president of the WBSC, American Ray Silvas, who took over the position in July after the resignation for health reasons of veteran Argentine executive Osvaldo Bisbal.