WBC has upped the ante and accelerated its efforts to make sure that boxing continues to be a major part of the Olympic Games.
The sanctioning body has been vocal against the way AIBA operates, but it is willing to work with it for the sport’s good.
“This is a time for the world of boxing to unite because the basis of boxing is amateur boxing,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said. “It is the basis for everything.”
A series of controversies surfaced at the Tokyo Olympics which hurt boxing’s reputation. An investigation report revealed that several officials were involved in corruption and that some major boxing bouts were intentionally given false scores. As a result, the AIBA was stripped of the right to stage the boxing competition at the Games.
The organization was then renamed IBA and appointed Umar Kremlev as the new president.
WBC’s Sulaiman had a visible problem with the previous AIBA regime.
“Professional boxing comes from Olympic boxing and amateur boxing, so we as an industry must not turn away,” Sulaiman said.
“We need to face this issue head-on and get to work. Whether you are a journalist, a promoter, a manager, a trainer, or a fighter, we can’t just stand by and see what destiny brings.
“We have had communications with AIBA and we have tried to have communication with the International Olympic Committee. At the moment, the ICO continues to reject AIBA to run boxing for the IOC. It is a matter of great concern,” the WBC president added.