OFI chief Sarah Keane says new body needed if IABA don’t cut ties with IBA

The president of the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) has urged the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) to sever its links with the International Boxing Association (IBA).

Indeed, Sarah Keane has suggested a new national boxing body may be needed if the IABA don’t depart the IABA and join World Boxing a newly established federation. 

Speaking post the a successful Olympics, Keane revealed the OFI will withdraw recognition of the IABA as the national federation at the request of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) unless the IABA links up with World Boxing. 

In 2019, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned the IBA because of issues over governance, finance, questionable refereeing and judging system.

World Boxing was borne out of that, was formed by a breakaway group last year and launched with five key pillars: keeping  boxing at the heart of the Olympic movement; ensuring that the interests of boxers are put first; delivering sporting integrity and fair competition; creating a competition structure designed in the best interests of the boxers; operating according to the strongest governance standards and transparent financial management.

Speaking in Paris, Keane asked IABA would to try an persuade it’s members to vote for a move to World Boxing. 

“We have been asked as an Olympic committee to cease their membership in the coming months,” said Keane who confirmed the IOC had made this request.

“Then it’s a case if you want boxing at the Olympic Games and if you want to support high performance you have to create a new national federation.

“We will in the coming months have to say to the IABA we can’t recognise you as a National Olympic Committee anymore because the international federation is not recognised by the IOC.

“From our perspective, we are very clear. We support World Boxing. We will have no choice but to comply with the IOC. We hope in the next couple of months that the IABA will ask its community a question so at least then we know how they feel. I hope people come out and make their voices heard. Then if they vote in favour of the change we will do everything we can to support them around that.

“If they vote to stay part of the IBA then the only way that it is going to be possible for boxing to stay as part of the Olympic Games is for a new national federation to be recognised in some shape or form which takes on high performance and is recognised by world boxing. Then you can have boxing [for Ireland] in the Olympic Games.

“For me, the situation is starting to simplify because it is starting to be about decisions,” said the outgoing president.

The powers that be in the IABA believe a link up with the World Boxing body is the way forwards and made moves to make it happen last year. 

They tried to pass a special resolution that would have allowed them to vote on which body they would move forward with at an emergency EGM. 

At the EGM, a 75% majority among the IABA delegates was required for the resolution to be passed.

Of the 118 valid votes, 84 voted in favour, 24 against, the resolution falling just six votes short of the required amount.