IOC members cast doubt on long-term future of AIBA as Session confirms suspension of Olympic recognition

The suspension of the recognition of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) as the Olympic governing body for the sport and the decision to hold a boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020 without its involvement was given formal approval by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session here today.
Members of the IOC unanimously passed both decisions taken by the IOC Executive Board after a prolonged discussion which included questions on the long-term future of boxing and the embattled governing body.

The approval from the Session - widely expected - comes prior to an emergency AIBA Executive Committee meeting in Geneva tomorrow.

The IOC Executive Board last week revealed the full composition of the taskforce established to deliver qualification events and the boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020 and approved the pathway for athletes hoping to compete at next year's Games.

The taskforce, which held its first meeting last weekend, is chaired by International Gymnastics Federation President Morinari Watanabe, who presented his report to the Session today.

IOC sports director Kit McConnell revealed China, Buenos Aires, London and Dakar were being targeted to host qualification events in their respective regions next year.

The approval followed a rare robust discussion from the IOC membership, who posed testing questions to Watanabe, McConnell and IOC Executive Board member Nenad Lalović, chair of the Inquiry Committee and whose report sparked the suspension of AIBA as the Olympic governing body for the sport.

Lalović will lead the Monitoring Committee, formed of the same officials who sat on the Inquiry Committee, which will analyse AIBA's progress towards potential reinstatement after Tokyo 2020.

The focus of the interventions concerned how the judges will be selected to officiate at the Olympic boxing tournament in Tokyo.

They will be selected from a pool devised by AIBA but the governing body itself will not be involved in who appoints them.