AmateurHeadline News

Boxing set to be kicked out of Olympic Games


The future of Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport hangs in the balance.

Boxing is in line to be kicked out of the Olympic Games with immediate effect in a move that would wreak havoc both in Ireland and further afield.

Over half of all the medals won by athletes representing Ireland have come from boxing but the sport’s international governing body, AIBA, look set to incur the wrath of the International Olympic Committee.

Following reports from insidethegames.biz last night, it has been confirmed today that current AIBA Interim President Gafur Rakhimov will be the only person seeking candidacy for the organisation’s Presidency at the AIBA Congress in Moscow next month.

The Uzbek is a controversial character and, while he denies any wrongdoing, has been described by the U.S. Treasury as “one of Uzbekistan’s leading criminals” and “an important person involved in the heroin trade”.

Rakhminov’s alleged links to criminality, naturally, do not sit well with the IOC who have numerous times warned that, should the Central Asian be elected to the top of AIBA, the sport faces expulsion from the Olympic Games.

Kazakh Serik Konakbayev, a double European gold and World and Olympic silver medallist, had been expected to contest the election and seek to stop Rakhminov assuming the presidency.

However, Konakbayev missed the dealine last month to submit the necessary letters of support from 20, or more, national governing bodies.

The IOC Executive Committee, by chance, meet today in Buenos Aires and are expected to discuss the matter ahead of the Youth Olympic Games in the Argentine capital.

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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