By Natalia Rueda 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) took a firm stand recently when it voted to expel the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the Olympic Movement at an Extraordinary Session in Lausanne. This decision, which came with one vote against and ten abstentions, has sparked alarm amongst the boxing community, as it leaves athletes without the protection they need.
The decision to expel the IBA was met with strong opposition from IOC President Thomas Bach. At the IOC Extraordinary Session in June, Bach said, “We have no problem with boxing, we have no problem with boxers. On the contrary, we appreciate boxers for living the values of their sport. If we had a problem with the boxers, there would not have been a competition in Tokyo. There would be no boxing competition in Paris.”
The IOC’s decision to expel the IBA was prompted by serious concerns about refereeing and judging, financial stability and governance, and the many allegations of corruption against the IBA’s former president. This decision came after a report dated June 2 concluded that the IBA had failed to meet the conditions set by the IOC to regain its Olympic status.
This decision will mean that athletes are not guaranteed proper protection against corrupt practices and that the sport of boxing faces an uncertain future in the Olympic Games. As the IOC noted in their 24-page report, “The accumulation of all these points, and the constant lack of drastic evolution over many years, creates a situation of no return. The IOC Executive Board approved the report, recommended to the IOC Session to withdraw recognition from the International Boxing Association (IBA) and convened an IOC Extraordinary Session to discuss the matter and make a decision”
IOC President Thomas Bach expressed his disappointment at the IBA’s failure to address the concerns raised by the IOC. “We highly value the sport of boxing, but unfortunately we have an extremely serious problem with the IBA because of its governance. We believe that boxers deserve to be governed by an international federation with integrity and transparency,” he said.
Boxing is a highly-regarded sport, and has been part of the Olympic Games since 1904. It has produced many great athletes who embody the Olympic spirit, and the IOC’s decision has left them at risk of exploitation and corruption. Hopefully, the IOC can rectify the situation and bring the IBA back into the Olympic fold, so that athletes can enjoy the protection they deserve.