The IOC is "moving toward expelling" the AIBA, boxing’s international federation, in a step that "could imperil one of the tent-pole events" of the '20 Tokyo Games, according to Panja & Belson of the N.Y. TIMES. Controversy has for years "plagued the boxing federation," and Gafur Rakhimov, whom the U.S. Treasury Department has described as “one of Uzbekistan’s leading criminals,” last month won the AIBA presidency. The IOC "will decide at a meeting on Dec. 1 whether to cast out AIBA." If it does, the IOC will "have to scramble to organize an Olympic boxing competition for the Tokyo Games that the boxing federation has not sanctioned." The IOC "ordered the federation earlier this year to produce a report outlining plans to resolve some longstanding issues." Sources said that the AIBA has "little hope for a reprieve" from the IOC, which is "already planning ways to preserve boxing’s place in Tokyo." A source said it would take "something earth shattering" for the AIBA to not be thrown out. Panja & Belson note the AIBA has "accused the IOC of double standards, pointing out that the organization has not dealt with a number of its members facing accusations of wrongdoing and is meddling in the internal workings of a sports federation" (NYTIMES.com, 11/21).
An IOC vote on Dec. 1 to cast out the AIBA could put boxing at the '20 Tokyo Games in jeopardygetty images
