Irish boxing pulls out of world championships, citing lack of transparency in IBA governance

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) have released a statement on Friday stating the Irish boxing team will not attend this year’s IBA Women’s World Championships in New Delhi, India. The decision means world champions Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’Rourke will not be able to defend the titles they won last year. Nor will the IABA attend the Men’s World Championships in Uzbekistan in May.

The statement said: “IABA athletes will not take part in the IBA Women’s World Championships in India in March, or the IBA Men’s World Championships in Uzbekistan in May. IABA referees and judges will not officiate at either tournament.”

The decision was taken on Thursday night, following a joint meeting of the IABA’s Board of Directors, Central Council and Unit representatives and follows the USA team, who withdrew from the World Championships last week. It is a continuance of the problem countries have had with the IBA and its lack of governance and transparency.

“The IABA urges the IBA to engage in governance reform and implement the recommendations of its own experts on fiscal responsibility, fair play, and inclusion,” said the statement.

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“IBA practices and activities are not of the standard required to secure our sport’s future. There are no winners in the current landscape. All members deserve a level playing field in tournaments run to the highest possible standard by an organisation which has their welfare, their futures, and their sport at its heart.”

“The IABA and its athletes are focused on preparations for the European Games in June, and winning qualification to Paris 2024. That preparation will include training camps, sparring camps and tournaments with sister federations. The IABA will continue to create opportunities for training, development, and competition for its boxers, nationally and internationally, across all age groups.”

The IBA are currently locked into a bitter dispute with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who have had issues with the sport of Olympic boxing for several years over its governance. The IBA did not organise the Olympic competition at the last Games in Tokyo. That was carried out by the IOC, who will again run the boxing at Paris 2024 and have stated that boxing is currently not in the program for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Both the USA and Ireland are closely aligned with the Common Cause Alliance (CCA), a group of nations whose focus is for boxing to remain at the Olympics.