The IBA persists in its dispute with the International Olympic Committee and has submitted an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal regarding the ruling made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The IBA remains determined to face the external challenges posed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), headed by Thomas Bach. The IOC has accused the IBA of using intimidation and threats, and Bach has explicitly expressed his desire for the IBA to not continue managing Olympic boxing in the same manner as it has done in the past.
Various factors such as political, personal, and economic reasons have resulted in a scenario where the boxers, who are the key players in this situation, are unsure about the best course of action to take for their individual paths in boxing and their sporting futures.
In this situation, the IBA has not authorized the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to prevent them from exercising their perceived right to represent boxers and national federations in the Olympic arena. This includes not only managing the qualification process, but also providing crucial support and striving for the long-term development of the sport and its athletes, both in terms of competition and well-being.
In an exclusive interview with Inside The Games, Chris Roberts, the General Secretary of IBA, revealed that they have been making every possible attempt behind the scenes to alter the IOC’s viewpoint, but unfortunately, they were unable to do so.
Having knowledge of the result of the CAS case, we perceived that there were certain questions during the process that were not adequately addressed. It is evident that we were not afforded the chance, as is our right, to present our arguments during the November hearing.
In the meantime, the International Boxing Association (IBA) is still functioning, overseeing and coordinating events, as the fate of Olympic boxing is being determined in the courts of Switzerland.
The IBA was not content with the verdict of the IOC and CAS in the beginning of April, therefore, they filed an appeal to the Swiss Federal Courts in hopes of obtaining justice.
The appeal filed by the International Basketball Association (IBA) against the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on April 2, 2024 was accepted by the Swiss Federal Tribunal, leading to the opening of proceedings. This news was reported by Inside the Games on their website on April 11, 2024.
According to Article 47 of the Federal Court Act (LTF), the parties are required to respond by the end of today. They also have the right to do so.
The aim of the submission in Lausanne is to assess the application of the law and the legality of the lower court’s ruling. The appeal process does not reassess the facts, but rather evaluates the proper application of the law and any potential harm to the appellant caused by its non-application.
According to the IBA, they believe they have been treated unfairly due to the law not being applied, and therefore are pursuing legal action in the Swiss Federal Tribunal after not finding a resolution in CAS.
According to Roberts, the right to be heard was violated by CAS and they also did not thoroughly consider all the issues and arguments presented by us. Therefore, we decided to take our case to the court.
The 20-day extension that was requested and granted has now ended, with no chance for any additional extensions. This is a crucial deadline for the IBA’s attempts to reclaim the path from which it feels it was unfairly taken away.
The IBA’s appeal requires both the IOC and CAS to submit the case file, containing a list of the documents used in their early April decision, to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, as they were the ones who made the decision being contested.
The IOC has been requested by the Swiss Federal Tribunal to provide their feedback on the appeal, as per the regulations stated in Article 102 of the Federal Tribunal Act (FTA).
The International Bar Association (IBA) believes that the ruling made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is unjust and is seeking recourse from the Swiss Federal Tribunal to determine if the current legal system was properly adhered to.
According to Roberts, the IBA is feeling unjustly treated as they believe that the CAS did not give fair consideration to all of their arguments and instead showed bias towards the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
According to the Secretary General of IBA, the past two years have seen significant advancements through extensive efforts. The focus has been on promoting transparency in sports, implementing proper governance measures, and seeking guidance from numerous experts. It has been ensured that all tasks assigned have been accomplished with utmost diligence and dedication.
According to Roberts, our arguments were disregarded during the CAS hearing. We are currently following the decision of the CAS and have lodged an appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal. Generally, the Swiss Federal Tribunal is known to be difficult and only accepts exceptional appeals. However, we were pleased to find out that our appeal was not rejected, and the IOC has been requested to provide a statement by July 1st. Therefore, the situation is ongoing, as stated by Roberts.
