AIBA boss Rakhimov's resignation brings hope to boxing at Olympics

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Gafur Rakhimov, president of the amateur boxing's governing body, International Boxing Association (AIBA), announced his resignation on Friday. His departure from the organization may help boxing stay in the Olympics in 2020 in Tokyo.

Rakhimov claimed that he decided to resign because "politically based discussions" were already damaging AIBA's efforts to keep boxing from being excluded from the Olympic program.

"While I had truly hoped and believed that sport and politics could be separated… the politically based discussions have put into question the progress being made throughout the AIBA organization. Nevertheless, I have always said that I would never put myself above Boxing, and as president, I have a duty to do everything in my power to serve our sport and our athletes," said Rakhimov in a statement.

Russia's Vitaly Dunaytsev (L) and Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (R) fight in the semi-final of men's boxing tournament under 64 kg at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 19, 2016. /VCG Photo

Rakhimov, 67, is an Uzbek businessman who was on the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions list "for providing material support" to a criminal organization. Before he was elected boss of AIBA in November 2018, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) expressed its concern and threatened to remove boxing from the Olympics if Rakhimov's elected.

After the election, the IOC launched an investigation into AIBA and suspended all boxing-related work of the 2020 Summer Olympics. No tickets were sold, no tests were made no qualifications were approved.

According to Rakhimov, an interim president will replace him. Boxing has never missed any Olympics since its introduction into the program in 1904 except in 1912. Back then, it was not contested at the Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden because the country's law banned boxing.

Though a big obstacle was removed along with Rakhimov's resignation, AIBA and the IOC still had a long to-do list including launching qualifications and selling tickets within the limited timeframe before the 2020 Summer Olympics.