IBA congratulates freshly elected Coventry as IOC President

The International Boxing Association extended felicitations to the freshly-elected IOC president and said it looks forward to engaging with the new leadership to ensure a sustainable future for the sport, who was finally included in LA28’s programme.

IBA President Umar Kremlev expressed his hope that Kirsty Coventry will take control of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and sever ties with the previous leadership as soon as possible in order to implement what he considers are necessary reforms. 

“This is a day of celebration for Kirsty Coventry and we hope that the sporting community will also welcome this occasion with joy. However, this will only be possible if Coventry takes control of the IOC and cuts ties with Bach and his team. The reputation and integrity of the Olympic Games are in desperate need of restoration. The Games must return to their core values of honesty, fairness and integrity, free from corruption and manipulation based on gender identity,” he said.

To achieve this, Kremlev stressed in his welcome message to the new IOC leader that change and reform are needed. “Bold reforms, firm determination and decisive action are essential. Only then can confidence in the Olympic Games and the IOC be restored. More importantly, Coventry must always remember that sport transcends politics,” he underlined.

The IBA has expressed its dedication to fostering dialogue across immediate, intermediate and extended timeframes. Additionally, its Secretary General and CEO Chris Roberts OBE emphasised that effective communication would be essential in rebuilding collaborative relationships between the two organisations.

“Establishing clear and forthright communication channels will serve as the foundation for rebuilding confidence and resuming productive discussions between the IBA and IOC, which remains crucial for our sport’s advancement. Our objective is unambiguous: to collaborate with mutual regard and shared dedication to sporting excellence. We are confident that through meaningful dialogue and genuine partnership, we can surmount historical obstacles and advance towards a future where athlete welfare and fair competition remain our highest priorities,” remarked Roberts OBE.

During the 144th IOC Session, held this week in Costa Navarino, Greece, it was officially confirmed that boxing will be included in the list of sports for the Los Angeles 2028 programme. The initial proposal from Monday, which was approved by the IOC Executive Board on Thursday, gave the final green light to a widely shared ambition. In its statement, the IBA reiterated that there has never been any doubt about the rightful place of sport.

The IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA as the world governing body for boxing in 2023, leaving the sport without an organisation to oversee it. It was at this point that World Boxing was created to fill the void left by the IBA. The IOC took over the organisation of the olympic tournament for Paris 2024 due to the lack of a recognised governing body, but announced that if this situation continued, boxing would be removed from the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028. In the end, it was avoided.

Finally, the IBA also recalled that it has 191 national federations from all continents. It has also organised 22 men’s world championships and 14 women’s world championships and stressed that it “continues to be a driving force in boxing worldwide, providing world-class development programmes, financial support and prize money.”