Coronavirus Update: AIBA Reforms Delayed

(ATR) Efforts by the international boxing federation AIBA to rejoin the Olympic fold are on hold for three more months.

The Extraordinary AIBA Congress, scheduled in Budapest on March 20, has been postponed until June 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

AIBA interim president Mohamed Moustahsane will continue in that capacity until the June meeting, which will remain in the Hungarian capital.

The future of AIBA could well be decided at the congress, with the national federations voting on changes and reforms demanded by the IOC. Among those demands is a call for new leadership at the federation.

The IOC suspended AIBA as the federation representing boxing at the Olympic Games over a range of concerns including governance, finance and judging.

"The next AIBA Extraordinary Congress will vote for the amendments of the AIBA statutes, to make sure that these statutes will reach the standards requested by good governance protocols," Moustahsane told Around the Ringsat last month’s Executive Committee meeting in Budapest.

FIBA Makes Changes to Calendar

FIBA announces changes to several events due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The international basketball federation on Wednesday postponed the 3x3 Olympic Qualification tournament scheduled for Bengaluru, India from March 18-22.

FIBA says it is working with the IOC to reschedule the tournament, which needs to be held before the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifier Tournament in Budapest, Hungary, which is set for April 24-26.

FIBA on Wednesday rescheduled the 3x3 Asia Cup 2020 in Changsha, China from May to September and the 3x3 U17 Asia Cup in Cyberjaya, Malaysia from June to October.

The U16 Asian Championships in Beirut, Lebanon and the U16 Women’s Asian Championships in Canberra, Australia, both scheduled for April, have been cancelled.

The inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) has been postponed. It was due to tip off on March 13.

Rugby Sevens Test Event Cancelled

Tokyo 2020 organizers say they will hold a rugby sevens test event "in some form" after the cancellation of the Asia Sevens Invitational 2020.

The Japan Rugby Football Union on Wednesday blamed coronavirus concerns for calling off the event scheduled for April 25-26.

The decision comes a day after Tokyo 2020 cancelled the Paralympic wheelchair rugby test event set for March 12-15, saying it would be held "in some form in April". The test event for sport climbing later this week will be held but with Tokyo 2020 staff replacing the athletes.

Skiing, Taekwondo Officials Face Friday Decisions

The International Ski Federation (FIS) Council says it will make a final decision on Friday on the staging of the Alpine World Cup Finals in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Cortina is in one of the regions hit hardest by the coronavirus in Italy.

FIS says it is waiting until Friday because that's the day the Italian Regional Government and health authorities in the Veneto region are to release the latest update on the coronavirus, including any new measures that will be implemented to contain it. Strong measures, such as a ban on sporting events that has been put in place in other countries, would force the cancellation of the World Cup Finals in Cortina.

Taekwondo Europe has also given a Friday deadline to decide whether its European Qualification Tournament stays in Milan.

"Various alternative scenarios are being considered in order to guarantee maximum safety for all participants," said a statement from Taekwondo Europe.

Homepage photo: AIBA

Written by Gerard Farek

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