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IBA / ASBC

IBA investigates possible integrity violations at the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in Thailand

December 23rd, 2024 / ASBC, IBA

Following receiving complaints from the National Federations about several controversial decisions in refereeing and judging at the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the International Boxing Association (IBA) has opened an investigation into possible integrity violations.

The IBA is committed to fair competition and will not tolerate any intentional mistakes from our referees and judges. All those found guilty will face sanctioning accordingly.

‘Integrity of our events is one of the most crucial components for us,’ IBA Secretary General and CEO Chris Roberts OBE said. ‘Without sporting integrity, it is impossible to ensure fair competition and to determine the strongest boxers, that’s why we are so keen to ensure that every bout is officiated fairly and correctly. We are looking into possible breaches of our processes, and should there be any wrongdoings, the appropriate actions will follow immediately. We will leave no stones unturned to find out whether any influence or manipulation has taken place.’

IBA has improved its refereeing and judging significantly since early 2021 by implementing AI-backed vetting processes led by the team of Prof. Richard McLaren. Thus, IBA cleaned its pool of referees and judges and ensured the integrity of competition. The IBA will continue to monitor the situation to make sure each IBA-sanctioned competition is clean and judged fairly.