CAS rejects appeal against IOC decision

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision not to recognize the International Boxing Association (IBA).

The dispute between the IOC and the IBA has been going on for several years. In 2019, the IOC suspended the IBA from the Olympic movement due to the boxing movement’s failure to address issues of good governance, finance, refereeing and ethics, so the IOC managed the boxing competition for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics itself without the involvement of the IBA. Also in Paris this summer, the boxing competition will be managed by the IOC, which already held the qualification competition.

“The IOC required the IBA to take a number of steps to address serious concerns about its governance and financial stability. This process led to a certain roadmap that the IOC recommended to the IBA in December 2021 to demonstrate to the IOC Executive Committee. that the IBA has successfully addressed the problem areas,” CAS found in the investigation of the case. “In its final decision, the CAS panel found that the IBA had not fulfilled the recognition conditions set by the IOC at the time of the contested decision.”

CAS found that IBA had failed to improve its financial transparency and sustainability, including revenue diversification. Also, the IBA has not changed the judges’ question to ensure the fairness of the competition. The CAS also notes that the IBA had failed to ensure the full and effective implementation of the measures proposed by the IOC, including changing the culture of attitudes. Therefore, the expert group found that the IOC’s decision was justified and emphasized that “the IOC has the right to control the circumstances and conditions under which it grants recognition”.