Federations Roundup - BBC Stands by AIBA Allegations; IAAF Details Centenary Plans

BBC Stands By Boxing Corruption Claims

BBC Newsnight is standing by its bribery allegations against the International Boxing Association – and the government of Azerbaijan – despite an AIBA-appointed task force’s dismissal of the claims.

"We stand by our investigation," says the British news agency.

"While we anticipate AIBA making all the evidence they reviewed public, we are continuing to cooperate with the ongoing investigation by the IOC Ethics Commission."

BBC’s response arrives amidst a busy week that already saw AIBA’s so-called Special Investigation Committee conclude Monday that the allegations are "completely without merit" and then boxing president C.K. Wu hand-deliver the SIC’s report Tuesday to IOC President Jacques Rogge.

On the eve of the 2011 boxing world championships in Baku, the BBC reported that a secret deal had been made by AIBA for boxers from Azerbaijan to win medals at the London Olympics.

According to the Newsnight allegations, an Azeri businessman secretly invested $9 million into the struggling World Series of Boxing operations in the U.S.

As evidence, the TV program presented emails that are said to prove the money came with promises from World Series of Boxing chief operating officer Ivan Khodabakhsh to fix London matches so that Azeri boxers would reach the podium.

According to the SIC, however, the investor is in no way involved with the Azeri government and has never met Khodabakhsh, who was fully exonerated by the investigation.

Asked on Tuesday whether he considers the case to be closed, Wu told Around the Rings he can only speak for boxing and doesn’t know what the BBC will do.

From the BBC statement, however, it’s now apparent the allegations won’t be dropped anytime soon.

Big Plans for IAAF Centenary

The hundredth birthday of the International Association of Athletics Federations will hardly go unnoticed.

In a Tuesday release, the IAAF detailed exactly what its Centenary Working Group has been up to since its establishment by athletics boss Lamine Diack in February 2010.

Headed by IAAF Council member Helmut Digel, the planning group is charged with seeking out"imaginative and creative ways to commemorate 100 years of active life without excessive expenditure" ahead of the July 12, 2012 occasion.

In this case, that means creation of a special centenary logo, look, book, medal, diploma, T-shirt, TV series, websitesection, Facebook page and accompanying PR campaign.

Because the birthday falls two days after the end of the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, the IAAF will also curate a temporary exhibit at the city’s Olympic and Sports Museum.

Two weeks later, the traditional IAAF Dinner on the eve of the Olympic athletics competition will sport a centenary theme, and all IAAF spaces in London will be branded accordingly.

The year’scelebrations will culminate Nov. 24 and 25 with a meeting of the IAAF Council and special centenary edition of the annual International Athletics Foundation Gala in the Spanish capital instead of usual host Monaco.

Nuclear Security Assist for UEFA's Euro 2012

Authorities in Poland and Ukraine will learn how to detect and then deal with potential atomic threats ahead of Euro 2012, the quadrennial championships of the Union of European Football Associations.

According to the United Nations News Service, the UN International Atomic Energy Agency is offering its expertise to help ensure the safety of more than one million football fans expected for next year’s finals.

"Of course, every member state tries to establish and sustain their nuclear security infrastructure," said Khammar Mrabit, director of the IAEA’s Office of Nuclear Security in Vienna, Austria.

"At the same time, there are always cases where sources of nuclear material are lost and if these fall into the wrong hands, they can be used for malicious acts."

IAEA experts also trained local authorities ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2011 Pan Ams in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Written by Matthew Grayson.

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