Governance and Integrity
To best serve boxers by ensuring fair fights, boxing needs to be governed by an organisation with transparency and accountability at its core. IBA is that organisation.
Following the election of Russia’s Umar Kremlev as IBA’s new president in December 2020, IBA has delivered unprecedented reform. Leading independent experts have been engaged to improve IBA’s work in three key areas: governance reform, sporting integrity and financial integrity.
“IBA is committed to strengthening the integrity of our beloved sport and protecting clean athletes. The fight against doping and any other form of cheating in boxing, and the strengthening of ethics with improvements in transparency, good governance and accountability are a top priority.”
Umar Kremlev, IBA President.
Governance reform
in 2021, an independent Governance Reform Group was established under the leadership of professor Ulrich Haas. The GRG’s report and early recommendations were adopted at the Extraordinary Congress of December 2021 and are now being implemented.
Sporting Integrity
Fair fights in boxing are guaranteed by IBA’s Rules and Guidelines, which can be found here.
In 2021, in order to address long-standing allegations, IBA commissioned an independent investigation by Professor Richard McLaren into the organisation’s past. The investigation has three parts. The first stage and third parts focused primarily on the competitions of the Rio Olympic Games of 2016 and other tournaments, while part two of the investigation looks into the conduct of the organisation’s previous management.
Financial Integrity
In 2021, the IBA Board of Directors approved new financial regulations, including for example additional clarity around the organisation’s per diem payments to officials performing services for IBA. President Umar Kremlev himself has foregone his own allowance and has committed to financing his own travel expenses. IBA’s financial regulations can be found here. IBA’s accounts are published and are fully audited to international accounting standards.
