Pan Am Boxing Gets IOC Attention

(ATR) The IOC working group organizing boxing in the Tokyo Olympics is taking notes in Lima.

Move the qualifying tournament from Buenos Aires and return protective headgear are among the requests, ATR is told.

Members of the working group named by IOC President Thomas Bach were in Lima this week where they met for the first time with boxing officials from the Americas.

The working group is taking the place of AIBA, the International Boxing Association, suspended by the IOC for a range of issues including governance, finance, refereeing and ethics.

Led by IOC member and International Gymnastics Federation President Morinari Watanabe, the working group has the job of organizing the Tokyo tournament, including qualifying for the Games.

In the case of the Americas, Buenos Aires has been named by the IOC for the qualifying tournament in 2020 after the success of boxing last October at the Youth Olympic Games.

But Around the Rings is told that representatives of the boxing federations are pushing the IOC to change the location to one closer to more of the competitors. They are pushing for a location in Central America or North America that they say will save costs. AIBA’s suspension has dried up IOC funding that wouldordinarily flow to the national federations.

Watanabe, who led the meeting, took note of this and other concerns, such as a return of headgear to prevent cuts and other injuries.

ATR is told that Watanabe informed the Americas boxing leaders that many of AIBA’s competition rules will be followed for Tokyo..

Not included in the Lima meeting was Osvaldo Bisbal, president of the Boxing Confederationof the Americas. Bisbal and other officials from AIBA are banned from involvement with the Tokyo tournament.

Bisbal resigned from the presidency of the AIBA referee and judging commission following accusations lodged by a separate IOC panel with investigated allegations against AIBA.

The IOC working group is composed of an expert in boxing, IOC member Willi Kaltschmitt of Guatemala, a former referee for more than 15 years. Other members include International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer, Egyptian modern pentathlete Aya Medany and Uganda IOC member William Blick.

.The meeting in Lima coincided with the release of the schedule for the Olympic boxing tournament next year. Set for July 25 to August 9 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, the schedule is the same followed for Rio 2016.

The Pan American boxing tournament will close tonight at the Miguel Grau Coliseum in Lima.

Reported by Miguel Hernandez.