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Kenya to leave IBA as boxing earns spot in Los Angeles Games
Kenya's Elizabeth Andiego (third from left) poses with her $10,000 dummy cheque alongside other quarter-finalists of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Nis, Serbia, on Saturday evening.
What you need to know:
- Kenya participated in IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Serbian city of Nis from March 5 to 17.
- The best female boxers from all over the World fought for the prestigious titles and money prizes.
- Boxers placed in fifth and sixth positions earned $10,000 (Sh 1.29m), bronze medallists $25,000 (Sh 3.23m), silver medallists $50,000 (Sh 6.45m), while the prize for the champions was $100,000 (Sh12.9m) each.
Kenya will prescribe to International Olympics Organisation (IOC) principles and values hence will support a boxing federation that will enable the country’s boxers to participate at the Summer Games.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) and Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) said that they will support World Boxing as the body that will help boxers realise their Olympic dream.
However, NOC-K Secretary General Francis Mutuku and BFK Secretary General David Munuhe called for continued discussion and negotiations that will help resolve the long standing tussle between IOC and the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Nevertheless, Mutuku and Munuhe welcomed the move by the IOC Congress yesterday in Pylos, Greece to include boxing in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics programme after a unanimous vote.
The decision ends years of doubt over the sport’s Olympic future.
However, it’s a big blow especially to African countries, including Kenya, who had stayed with IBA, which is headed by Russian Umar Kremlev. IBA introduced lucrative prize money for its international competition both in Africa and globally.
Kenya has been a member of IBA that has over 170 member countries since independence in 1963.
World Boxing that is headed by Dutch Boris van der Vorst, was formed on April 13 2023, and currently consists of 84 member federations.
The organisation that is now recognised by IOC was formed in response to ongoing governance and integrity issues facing IBA that in fact led to its suspension and later, expulsion from the IOC.
Its charter members were drawn from a group of IBA members who had demanded transparency over the organisation’s governance and finances amid the presidency of Kremlev and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and campaigned for maintaining boxing as an Olympic sport.
Earlier this week, the IOC executive committee recommended boxing to be returned on the roster for the 2028 Olympics before the IOC Congress gave its nod yesterday.
“I thank you for the approval of having boxing back. We can look forward to a great boxing tournament,” outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach said.
The boxing competitions at the 2020 Tokyo and Paris 2024 Olympic Games were run by the IOC after it had stripped IBA of recognition.
Kenya participated in IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Serbian city of Nis from March 5 to 17.
The best female boxers from all over the World fought for the prestigious titles and money prizes.
Boxers placed in fifth and sixth positions earned $10,000 (Sh 1.29m), bronze medallists $25,000 (Sh 3.23m), silver medallists $50,000 (Sh 6.45m), while the prize for the champions was $100,000 (Sh12.9m) each.
