International Boxing Association facts for kids

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International Boxing Association

Abbreviation	IBA
Formation	29–30 November 1946
Type	Sports federation
Headquarters	Lausanne, Switzerland
Region served	Worldwide
President	Umar Kremlev
Main organ	Congress

The International Boxing Association (IBA) is a sports organization. It used to be called the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA). The IBA organizes and approves both amateur and professional boxing matches. It also gives out world championships and other awards.

This group is one of the oldest boxing federations. It started after the 1920 Summer Olympics. The current president is Umar Kremlev from Russia. In 2021, the IBA had 198 national boxing groups as members. It holds the IBA World Boxing Championships every two years.

However, in 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed the IBA. This happened because of worries about fairness, money issues, and possible links to the Russian government. The IBA works with five boxing groups around the world. These are for Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

The IBA's standing in the boxing world started to weaken in the 2000s. This continued into the 2010s and 2020s. Several leaders faced problems with how the organization was run. There were also claims of unfairness, especially about judging and scoring in Olympic boxing.

Money problems during Wu Ching-kuo's time as president caused a lot of debt. He left in 2017 and was later banned for life. In June 2019, the IOC temporarily stopped recognizing the IBA. This meant the IBA could not oversee boxing at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. Instead, an IOC team managed these boxing events.

Umar Kremlev became president in 2020. He promised to make changes and fix the relationship with the IOC. Under his leadership, the IBA changed its leadership team. It also started a program to help national boxing groups financially. Prize money was added to its World Boxing Championships. The IBA also paid off its old debts.

An independent report by Richard McLaren found problems. It said that some boxing match results at the 2016 Summer Olympics were unfairly changed for money. Kremlev's time as president has also had its own issues. The IOC was concerned about the IBA's growing ties to Russia. This included moving some operations to Russia. Also, a Russian state-owned company, Gazprom, was the only sponsor for a while.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, some national boxing groups formed the Common Cause Alliance. They wanted to know more about the IBA's money and the Gazprom sponsorship. They also wanted boxing to stay an Olympic sport. In October 2022, the IBA allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags again. This decision was made despite the ongoing conflict.

The IBA's 2023 world championships faced boycotts from many countries. The IBA also wrongly claimed these championships were a way to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Common Cause Alliance later became a new boxing group called World Boxing. In June 2023, the IOC officially removed its recognition of the IBA. This was because the IBA had not fixed its problems with leadership, money, and fairness. The IBA was the first international sports group ever removed from the Olympic movement. The IOC later recognized World Boxing in February 2025.

History of the IBA
Boxing Competitions
Presidents of the IBA
Major Boxing Events
See also

History of the IBA

Early Years: 1920–2009

During the 1920 Summer Olympics in Belgium, boxing leaders met. They decided to create an international boxing group. This group was called the Fédération internationale de boxe amateur (FIBA). It officially started on August 24, 1920. Soon after, amateur boxers could compete in big international tournaments.

Then-AIBA president Wu Ching-kuo with leaders from the Boxing Federation of India in New Delhi, India, March 1, 2017

In November 1946, a new group was formed. This was because the old FIBA had lost trust after World War II. The English Amateur Boxing Association and the French Boxing Federation created the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA). Emile Grémaux, from the French Boxing Federation, became its first president.

Anwar Chowdhry became AIBA president in 1986. He led the group for a long time. But his time was marked by concerns about judging at the Summer Olympic Games. For example, at the 1988 Summer Olympics, American boxer Roy Jones Jr. controversially lost a fight. Many felt he should have won. Chowdhry then made changes, like using computer scoring. He also started alcohol checks for judges.

Despite these changes, judging issues continued in later Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) started watching AIBA more closely. This was after judging scandals in other sports. In 2005, the IOC stopped giving AIBA money. They wanted AIBA to show how it would fix its judging system. Chowdhry said AIBA was working on showing judges' scores live. This would make things more open.

In 2006, Wu Ching-kuo became AIBA president. He won a close vote. His election had many arguments and claims of unfairness. In 2007, AIBA changed its full name to the "International Boxing Association." But it kept "AIBA" as its short name.

Challenges and Changes: 2010–2019

In 2010, AIBA started the World Series of Boxing (WSB). This was a new semi-professional team competition. It allowed amateur boxers to compete. They could still keep their amateur status and be eligible for the Olympics. The WSB also offered a way to qualify for the Olympics.

In 2011, there were reports of a large payment to the WSB. Some said it was a bribe for Olympic medals. AIBA denied this. They said the payment was a normal business deal.

Judging issues came up again at the 2012 Olympics. In one fight, a boxer was knocked down many times. But the referee did not stop the fight. The judges then gave the win to the wrong boxer. AIBA later changed the result and removed the referee.

In 2013, AIBA stopped requiring headgear for senior men boxers. Studies showed headgear might increase head injuries. It also gave a false sense of safety. This change did not apply to younger male boxers or women.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, boxing used a new scoring system. It was like professional boxing. Three out of five judges' scores were used after each round. But two fights caused a lot of controversy. Many felt the Russian boxers were unfairly given wins. One boxer, Michael Conlan, accused AIBA of cheating. AIBA removed some judges and referees after this. But the original fight results stayed the same.

In 2017, Wu Ching-kuo faced problems with AIBA's money. Reports said the group was in debt. Its treasurer and finance director quit. Wu was suspended in October 2017. He then stepped down as president in November 2017.

In October 2018, AIBA banned Wu and a former director for life. This was due to serious money mismanagement. In November 2018, Gafur Rakhimov was elected the new president.

In June 2019, the IOC voted to suspend AIBA. This meant AIBA could not be involved in the Olympic Games. The IOC managed the boxing events for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Rakhimov stepped down in July 2019. This was due to concerns about his alleged ties to a criminal group. Mohamed Moustahsane became interim president.

Recent Developments: 2020–Present

In December 2020, Umar Kremlev was elected as the new president of AIBA. He promised to make reforms and fix the relationship with the IOC. He also promised to pay off AIBA's debt. A new set of rules was adopted. It created new committees and changed the leadership board.

In April 2021, AIBA signed a deal with Gazprom, a Russian energy company. Gazprom became the main sponsor. AIBA announced it had paid off all its debts.

In September 2021, an independent report was released. It found that boxing matches at the 2016 Summer Olympics had been unfairly changed. This was done for money or other benefits.

At the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships, AIBA added more weight classes. For the first time, medal winners also received cash prizes. This was to help boxers be successful. In November 2021, it was suggested to change AIBA's leadership board again. This was to regain trust from the IOC. These changes were adopted in December 2021. AIBA also got a new logo and officially started using "IBA" as its short name.

In December 2021, the IOC temporarily removed boxing from the 2028 Summer Olympics. This was until the IBA fixed its leadership problems.

IBA and the Olympic Movement: 2022

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 affected how people saw the IBA. Kremlev is a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Some suggested Kremlev's presidency helped Russia's influence. Some IBA operations also moved to Russia.

The IBA first followed the IOC's advice. This meant Russian and Belarusian athletes could not compete under their national flags. A group of national boxing groups formed the Common Cause Alliance. They wanted more openness about IBA's money and the Gazprom deal. They also wanted boxing to stay an Olympic sport.

The IOC was worried about the IBA under Kremlev. They cited the Gazprom sponsorship and Kremlev's spending. They also noted his opposition to independent judges. In May 2022, the IOC sent a letter to the IBA. It listed ongoing concerns about leadership, money, and fair judging.

At a meeting in May 2022, some candidates for president were not allowed to run. One candidate, Boris van der Vorst, appealed this decision. He felt Kremlev's changes were not enough. Kremlev was re-elected. However, the decision to ban candidates was later overturned.

A special meeting was held in September 2022. IBA members voted against a new election. This kept Kremlev as president. During his speech, Kremlev started to distance the IBA from the IOC. He said "Olympic boxing" should be called "IBA boxing." He also said no one else should influence the organization.

The IBA also suspended the Ukraine Boxing Federation. They said it was due to "government interference." This led to protests from Ukrainian boxers. The IOC expressed concern about this suspension.

On October 5, 2022, the IBA allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flags again. They said politics should not affect sports. This decision was criticized by some countries. Finland and Sweden said they would boycott events with these boxers.

In November 2022, the IBA signed a deal with the World Boxing Association. This is a major professional boxing group.

IOC Expulsion and New Beginnings: 2023–Present

The IOC's Paris 2024 Boxing Unit oversaw boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics. This was because the IBA was suspended. In December 2022, the IOC announced its own ways to qualify for the Olympics.

Many countries boycotted the 2023 IBA World Boxing Championships. These included Canada, the United States, and others. The IBA then announced its own Olympic qualification system. They claimed it was approved by the IOC. But the IBA did not have the power to approve Olympic qualifiers. USA Boxing said the IBA was spreading false information. The IOC confirmed its system was the only approved way to qualify.

In March 2023, Ajay Singh became IBA vice-president. During the 2023 IBA World Women's Boxing Championships, there were controversial disqualifications. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting were disqualified. The IBA claimed this was due to concerns about competitive fairness.

A new boxing group called World Boxing started in April 2023. Its leaders included members of the Common Cause Alliance. USA Boxing was the first national group to leave the IBA and join World Boxing. The IBA called World Boxing a "rogue organization." It threatened to punish groups and athletes who joined it. In May 2023, Kremlev said the IBA's sponsorship with Gazprom had ended.

On June 22, 2023, the IOC officially removed its recognition of the IBA. This was the first time an international sports group was expelled from the Olympic movement. The IOC said the IBA had not fixed its problems. The IBA criticized this decision. World Boxing welcomed it. The IOC's decision was upheld by a sports court in April 2024. The IBA appealed this decision again.

In October 2023, the IBA sent a warning to World Boxing. It claimed to own the "World Boxing" name. However, World Boxing had announced its formation before the IBA registered the name. The IOC president, Thomas Bach, said a final decision on boxing for the 2028 Olympics was on hold.

In April 2024, the IBA announced a new professional boxing committee.

During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting were allowed to compete by the IOC's boxing unit. Controversy arose again during Khelif's match. On July 31, 2024, the IBA stated its 2023 decision was based on a "recognized test." They claimed Khelif and others had "competitive advantages." The next day, the IOC said the IBA's 2023 decision was "arbitrary." They said it was made without proper procedure.

On September 30, 2024, the IOC asked national Olympic groups to stop working with IBA-linked bodies. They asked them to work with groups focused on Olympic Boxing instead. The IBA then took legal action against the IOC. They accused the IOC of interfering.

In February 2025, the IOC officially recognized World Boxing. In March 2025, the IOC voted to bring boxing back to the Summer Olympics in 2028.

Boxing Competitions

Under President Wu Ching-kuo, who led AIBA from 2006 to 2017, the organization had three types of competitions:

AIBA Open Boxing (AOB): This was for amateur or Olympic boxing.
AIBA Pro Boxing (APB): This was a professional boxing league.
World Series of Boxing (WSOB): This was a semi-professional team tournament. It used a mix of amateur and professional rules. For example, fights had five rounds instead of three. Boxers also did not wear vests or headgear.

Wu's professional boxing ventures stopped. This was mainly because of AIBA's money problems. These problems led to Wu's resignation in 2017. AIBA Pro Boxing only held fights from late 2014 to 2016. The World Series of Boxing also stopped in 2018 due to financial losses.