AIBA amends bylaw to keep Rakhimov out of fresh Presidential elections in Nov

Expelled by the IOC, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) has amended one of its bylaws to keep controversial former President Gafur Rakhimov out of fray when elections are held for the top post in November this year.

In a statement to PTI, Russian Boxing Federation's Secretary General Umar Kremlev, who is also an AIBA Executive Committee member, said that the world body is going to make peace with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through a variety of measures.

"Today we removed the article 16.3 of the bylaw so that he (Rakhimov) could not return, and we voted for the Congress, which will take place on November 15 (in Lausanne) and on which we will elect the new AIBA leadership," Kremlev said.

IOC on Wednesday stripped AIBA off the rights to conduct the 2020 Olympic Games' boxing competition, completely revising the qualification process as well.

As a result, the world championships this year, to be held in Russia, will no longer have Olympic qualifier status and the quotas will be decided by continental championships followed by a world qualifier next year.

Rakhimov, an Uzbek businessman accused of organised crime by the US Treasury Department, had stepped aside earlier this year under intense IOC pressure but not ruled out a comeback. He took over the top post last year despite IOC's reservations about his credentials.

Kremlev's statement came after an AIBA Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting which was held in Geneva on Thursday.

The initiative (to remove the bylaw which could have helped Rakhimov) was supported by 13 members, one against, eight abstained.

"Today we have united and made serious decisions, got rid of the man who deceived the entire boxing community, saying that he would pay off all debts and find a common language with the IOC," Kremlev said.

"He brought AIBA to the risk of bankruptcy. He should apologize to the entire boxing community," he added.

Kremlev said he and Ukrainian Boxing Federation President Volodimyr Prodivus also announced a "vote of non-confidence for the AIBA Interim President Mohamed Moustahsane and the chairman of the Ethics Committee Jost Schmid, as he is a supporter of the former leadership".

Besides, a commission was set up to discuss the "restoration of AIBA with the IOC under Giorgio Brugnoli (England Boxing)".