IWF takes additional steps ahead of December’s make or break Electoral Congress - Federation Focus

The International Weightlifting Federation Executive Board decides on governance provisions ahead of the Electoral Congress that could determine the sport’s status in the Olympics.

In a meeting carried out online and in person around the 2021 IWF Youth World Championships in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the IWF Executive Board moved to implement the constitution adopted in late August that is the basis for the federation’s reforms.

Terms of reference were approved for the IWF’s new Legal Commission and Electoral Commission. The election rules for the IWF Athletes Commission were also approved, though the final say belongs to the Electoral Commission.

Participants at the 2021 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan will elect three athlete representatives to become members of the IWF Executive Board. The trio will also have a vote at the IWF Congress.

The championships are scheduled for December 7-17 with the Electoral Congress to follow in Tashkent from December 20-21.

“The IWF has already turned a corner. We already know that the composition of the Executive Board after the coming elections will be more representative of athletes, have improved gender equity and that all candidates will have had to go through eligibility checks that include strict provisions around clean sport,” said IWF Interim President Michael Irani.

Finally getting the new constitution passed was a major accomplishment for the federation, and eased the pressure somewhat from the IOC, which called the approval of the new statutes an “important step” in the reform process towards good governance of the federation.

The IOC said it would be closely monitoring the results of the elections before making any decisions on the sport’s Olympic future. The IOC Executive Board was given the power in early August to suspend a sport from participating in the Olympics if a federation fails to follow specific guidelines given to it by the IOC.

Record number of participants for the XXI AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) announces that 650 boxers, representing 105 countries, are slated to contest 13 new weight classes at the 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships.

AIBA was quick to note that the number of registered boxers would constitute a championship participation record. The federation also confirmed plans to offer a prize purse of $2.6 million at the championships. World Champions in each event are set to receive $100,000, while runner ups will receive $50,000. Both semi-final losers will be given $25,000 as well.

Commenting on the upcoming world championships, AIBA President Umar Kremlev stated, “I believe that this World Championships will start a new chapter in AIBA’s history. We have a record number of participants competing in 13 new weight categories, which is a sign of boxing’s strength and extensive global development.

“We are providing our athletes with the best opportunities to succeed and we will do our utmost to ensure a fair chance and fair fights for every participant. I am truly looking forward to the opening of the Championships in Belgrade.”

The XXI AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships are scheduled to run from October 24 to November 6, 2021 in the Serbian capital.

SkiMo lands television deal

Eurovision Sport reached an agreement with the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (IMSF) to broadcast and promote the sport.

Eurovision Sport plans to produce and broadcast selected races from up to nine events per season. The deal begins during the 2021-2022 season. The events selected by Eurovision for broadcast during the 2021-2022 season include seven World Cups, the European Championships, and a potential exhibition event.

In total, there will be 24 competitions live-streamed. Eurovision Sports will also produce additional and background content as part of the deal.

Eurovision Sports and the IMSF will cooperate in building the commercialization of sport through media and marketing rights during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. Eurovision Sport will then assist the IMSF in building a competition calendar to optimize exposure for the sport during the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 seasons.

Speaking on the agreement, IMSF President Thomas Kähr commented, “We are convinced that the new partnership will allow us to take the media reach of our races to a significantly higher level. Eurovision Sport, with its international broadcasting and online network, will be able to offer efficient multimedia services in close co-operation with our marketing department.”

“Our main partners, such as the local race organizers and our commercial partners as well as the skimo athletes, will benefit from the increased visibility on all relevant communication channels.”

Ski Mountaineering made its debut under the Olympic Rings at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC announced Ski Mountaineering as an official sport for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games earlier this year. The 2021-2022 season of the IMSF World Cup is due to get underway in Adamello, Italy on December 16.

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