World amateur body IBA accuses Olympic organisers of persecution

LONDON : Amateur boxing's Russian-led world governing body accused Olympic organisers of persecution on Thursday in a hard-hitting response to its continued suspension over governance and finance issues.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) asked how it could "quench the IOC's continued thirst to persecute our organization and its athletes" and said "significant progress" had not been recognised.

It added that it was clearing up a 'tainted legacy' left by a former president who was once a leading figure in the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"We continue to be punished for a culture of corruption that was created and nourished by some of the individuals from the IOC’s upper echelon," the IBA said.

"This culture of corruption was developed over time and fixing it will take time to be done right, which has been ongoing for more than two years."

The IBA was not involved in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and boxing is not on the initial programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Games pending reforms demanded by the IOC. Qualifying for Paris 2024 is being organised by the IOC.

The IBA, previously AIBA, was run by Taiwan's Ching-kuo Wu from 2006 to 2017. He was also a member of the IOC's executive board and stood against current incumbent Thomas Bach for IOC president in 2013.

Banned for life by AIBA in 2018, Wu has denied any wrongdoing.

The IBA is now run by Russian Umar Kremlev with backing from Russian energy firm Gazprom - a matter the IOC has said is of grave concern.

The boxing body has also moved to allow boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete with their national flags and anthems, counter to IOC guidance following Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which Russia calls a 'special operation'.

On Tuesday the IOC sent the IBA