MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. The organization of World Boxing has no global support and it is illegitimate, President of the International Boxing Association (IBA) Umar Kremlev told TASS on Tuesday.

"They [the International Olympic Committee] can point their finger at anyone, but the only question that still remains is about the legitimacy of this organization," Kremlev noted. "There is not a single organization at the moment capable of competing with the IBA."

"Our global association is the oldest one and is also the only one maintaining the right to hold such tournaments," he continued. "We cannot be deprived of this right, particularly based on the politically motivated and far-fetched reasons."

"Numerous attempts were made throughout this year to strip the IBA of its rights to host boxing tournaments," Kremlev said. "Take a look at what it all has led to involving athletes that represent World Boxing as they are getting paid nothing while keep paying fees in order to keep the organization vital so it would organize some illegitimate [boxing] events."

"The number of participants at such events is extremely low," he continued. "It [World Boxing] serves for the current IOC administration as a separating cushion that they intend to use for money manipulations and gain earnings at the expense of athletes."

In late May, the International Olympic Committee declared boxers representing national federations that are members of the International Boxing Association (IBA) would be banned from the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in the United States.

IBA’s situation

In 2019, the IOC announced a decision to temporarily revoke the IBA's recognition status with the organization citing the financial and management crisis within the IBA as the reason. The IOC demanded the international boxing federation make reforms and suspended it from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In June 2023, the IOC ruled at its session to strip the IBA of its Olympic membership stating that the boxing federation "failed to fulfil the conditions set by the IOC in its decision communicated to the IBA on 9 December 2021 - which was not challenged by the IBA - for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition."

Russia’s Umar Kremlev took the reins of the IBA in late 2020 and the international boxing federation took a stance against the IOC's recommendations to strip athletes representing Russia and Belarus of their national identity. Boxers from both countries compete in IBA-sponsored events without any international restrictions.

The boxing federations of the United States, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and the Philippines canceled their membership in protest and formed a new international organization, World Boxing.

In mid-October 2023, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach ruled out any chance of the International Boxing Association (IBA) being reinstated to the Olympic movement.

"With the IBA there’s no ongoing process, for us the case is closed… There will be no boxing with IBA in the Olympic program. It’s done. Full stop."

Commenting on the status of World Boxing, Bach said it still had some work to do if it wants to be recognized by the IOC.