Boxing Federation to Plot New Course

(ATR) The Bulgarian boxing leader on AIBA’s executive committee has called for interim president Mohamed Moustahsane to step down and ensure a congress is held to elect new leadership.

Emilia Grueva has made the demands in a statement following the IOC Session’s approval of plans on Wednesday to take over control of Olympic boxing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

"It is an extremely sad moment for both our organization and our sport. As a person who has loved boxing my entire life, I feel a heartfelt disappointment," she said.

Blaming an "absence of true leadership" in recent years for AIBA’s current crisis, she said many decisions were made among a small core group which were "not democratic, ethical and transparent".

"As long as I remain a member of the EC, then I accept my share of responsibility too. My opinions alone were not enough to prevent some crucial decisions being taken in the past," she added.

Asked what the boxing federation should do next to repair the damage and get back in the IOC’s good books, Grueva said "real and deep change" was needed.

"This can only come from new reform work by starting to elect a new leadership."

AIBA’s leaders meet Thursday in Lausanne at an extraordinary executive committee meeting to plot the next steps forward after the IOC’s Olympic suspension. The IOC has made explicit that any new-look AIBA board cannot include any individuals in the current leadership.

The vice president of the Bulgarian Boxing Federation said officials at the meeting should organize the date of the Extraordinary Congress to elect the new president "who will have the full authority to conduct the reforms".

Grueva said she wanted to be part of a future AIBA but threatened to quit the executive committee and set up a rival boxing body if Moustahsane and ExCo leaders fail to put into motion plans for a leadership overhaul.

There was an urgent need to set a date and location for the Extraordinary Congress, as under AIBA statutes three months notice is required for member federations.

Speaking about Thursday’s meeting, Grueva said she will insist AIBA’s top officials "identify all crucial reasons for the IOC suspension and find solutions for them.

"What I know is that I will strongly demand these decisions be taken to resolve the current paralysis. Then, I will also insist that the EC take responsibility towards our members. We cannot just let the current leadership continue to manage our organization. Some people should take the ultimate responsibility for the good of the sport."

Russian Boxing Federation secretary general Umar Kremlev echoed Grueva’s call for action to remove AIBA’s current leadership.

In a statement Wednesday reacting to the IOC Session’s decision to ban AIBA involvement in the Tokyo Olympics, he said members of the AIBA executive committee needed to understand "we need to unite and say goodbye to the old".

He said everyone guilty for AIBA’s current crisis "must confess, apologize to the boxing community and leave".

Kremlev called on the AIBA Executive Committee to unite and "start everything from scratch together to bring boxing back to a high level".

Reported by Mark Bisson

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