CAS rejects IBA appeal after IOC withdraws recognition

The International Boxing Association's (IBA) appeal against a decision to withdraw recognition of it as the sport's international federation was dismissed on Tuesday by global sport's top court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In June, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to strip the IBA of recognition for failing to complete reforms in governance, finance, and ethical issues.

"The IOC Session took its decision based on the recommendation issued by the IOC Executive Board on 7 June 2023 following a long process, initiated shortly after the Olympic Games Rio 2016," the CAS said in a statement.

"During (the process), the IOC requested the IBA to undertake various measures to address serious concerns related to its governance and financial stability."

It added that the IBA had not complied with the conditions set down by the IOC.

"The IBA had not increased its financial transparency and sustainability including through diversification of revenues (nor) changed its process relating to referees and judges to ensure its integrity," the CAS statement said.

The sports court added that the IBA had not implemented all the measures proposed by the "Governance Reform Group" established by the IOC, including a culture change.

"The panel determined that these three elements justified the IOC Session's decision to withdraw recognition of the IBA," the statement said.

"(It also) emphasized that the IOC's right to control the circumstances in and the conditions on which it confers recognition outweighed the IBA's personality rights."

Rival body World Boxing said last month that it will seek recognition from Olympic organizers to replace the IBA and keep the troubled sport on the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: File photo of the Tribunal Arbitral du Sport / Court of Arbitration for Sport headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. /CFP)