The French Boxing Federation has decided to leave the international federation IBA, currently in conflict with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to join World Boxing, a competing organization. A way to secure the place of its boxers at the Olympic Games.
The French Boxing Federation (FFBoxe) has decided to leave the International Boxing Association (IBA) currently in conflict with the International Olympic Committee in order to “guarantee French boxing its place in the Olympic Games”, it announced this Monday in a press release. Due to years of conflict between the IOC and the IBA, boxing has its place in the Olympic Games. The IOC must decide in 2025 whether or not to keep sport on the menu of the Games, subjecting its maintenance to the emergence of a new international federation.
The French federation therefore decided to follow other countries by joining a competing organization, World Boxing, which has started discussions with the IOC. The Federation describes the decision to “disaffiliation” from the IBA, taken by its steering committee, as “major”, because “motivated by the desire to guarantee French boxing its place in the Olympic Games and to strengthen the stability of the clubs” .
Lappartient in the running for IOC presidency
“The initiative is based on a letter from David Lappartient, president of the French Olympic committee, recalling that, following recent decisions by the IOC, boxing is no longer recognized as an Olympic sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Games” , explains the press release. David Lappartient is currently in the running for the presidency of the IOC. “By joining World Boxing, FFBoxe wishes to guarantee an Olympic future for its athletes, ensure lasting stability for clubs and place the discipline in a dynamic of development and success in France,” continues the federation.
The conflict between the IOC and the IBA, chaired by the Russian Umar Kremlev, was invited this summer to the Paris Olympics, with the case of two competitors, the Algerian Imane Khelif and the Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting, whom the The IBA had disqualified them on the grounds of “gender tests” that were never specified. The Federation's decision must be “submitted for validation” to the General Assembly on December 14.
Ourahmoune and Mossely aim for FFBoxe
Champion Sarah Ourahmoune, silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced this Monday in an interview with L'Équipe that she was a candidate for the presidency of FFBoxe, associated with outgoing president Dominique Nato, and indicated that his priority was to avoid “the potential loss of Olympic recognition”, advocating leaving the IBA. Estelle Mossely, gold medalist in Rio, is also a candidate in this election which will be held on December 14.
