The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released a statement to condemn the “violent and threatening language,” used by Umar Kremlev, the President of the International Boxing Association (IBA). They mentioned that the incident involving the 40-year-old Russian administrator occurred during the American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Continental Forum in Brasilia.
Notably, Umar Kremlev reportedly used “violent and threatening language” on the same day the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the appeal from the IBA against the executive board of the IOC, in regards to withdrawing their recognition.
Since 2019, both these organisations are in the midst of a dispute in which the IOC de-recognised the IBA due to issues related to finances, governance, and sports integrity. It led to the IOC overseeing the boxing competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which is expected to be the case during the Paris Olympics in 2024 as well.
According to a report from InsideTheGames, CK Wu, the former member of the IOC, who was at the helm of boxing from 2006 to 2017, was accused by the 40-year-old of being “a criminal who was killing boxing,” while proclaiming that “he should be shot,” during the continental forum in Brasilia.
Later on, the executive board of the IOC, during their meeting in Lausanne, released a statement about the matter, which read, “Incitement of hatred and derogatory language against individuals working for the IOC, who are simply carrying out their professional roles, and against the IOC as an organisation, is simply unacceptable.”
“Making accusations against them that they are 'covering up crimes' is highly defamatory. Furthermore, calling for an individual formerly linked to the IOC to be 'shot' is language that has no place in sport or in any normal civilised debate. The IOC reserves all its legal rights,” the statement further read.
