IBA commits to fund federations after Olympic expulsion
Muhangi (2nd R) and his team showing off the equipment acquired from IBA grant in 2021. PHOTO/ABDUL-NASSER SSEMUGABI
What you need to know:
In his June 29 letter to member federations, Kremlev, a Russian with strong ties with the Kremlin, vowed IBA’s commitment to fund federations in the next four-year cycle.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) has vowed to fund its member federations as it navigates the troubled waters following its expulsion from the International Olympics Committee.
Following chronic disagreements with IBA on its source of finance, governance and refereeing issues, the IOC voted 69-1 to expel the boxing governing body’s from the Olympic Movement on June 22, albeit maintaining boxing on the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic calendar.
As the IOC ponders a marriage with World Boxing, a breakaway entity that has attracted USA, Switzerland, Italy, England, other European federations and the entire Asian Confederation, IBA president Umar Kremlev must move heaven and earth to prevent further disintegration.
In his June 29 letter to member federations, Kremlev, a Russian with strong ties with the Kremlin, vowed IBA’s commitment to fund federations in the next four-year cycle.
“The grants given will grow from $20,000 (Shs73m) to $50,000 (Shs183m) in 2024, and in 2025 the sum will reach $100,000 (Shs 366.5m) per National Federation,” the letter reads in part.
“We are kindly asking you to indicate your sources of income from the National Federation you represent. This is important for us to understand as our Financial Support Program (FSP) must be tailored to the needs of our National Federations and Confederations.”
Of course IBA’s offer is nowhere near Fifa’s $1m dollar grant to Fufa and each member federation every year. But it is a good start, a first in IBA’s 77-year history.
In 2021 Uganda was among the first beneficiaries of the $20,000 IBA grant from which the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) bought gloves, pads, breast caps, groin protectors, punching bags and headgears worth $6000 (Shs21m).
While unveiling the consignment in October 2021, UBF president Moses Muhangi said if they receive the $14000 (Shs50m) balance, they would renovate the old boxing ring that was retrieved from Kasese. However, the update in that regard is still pending.
Last year, Kremlev travelled to Kampala to commission a project to build a boxing academy in Matugga, on land the Buganda Kingdom donated to UBF.
In the latest letter, Kremlev shared an online platform on which federation and confederation members can share views and questions regarding the state of boxing following the IOC decision. Submission deadline is July 7.
But Kremlev, who earlier on said IBA can survive without the Olympics, signed out with a jab to the IOC.
“Finally, we would like to stress that the IBA over the last 6 years has been able to grow without receiving a single penny from its Olympic income. From the edge of bankruptcy, we managed to demonstrate the full financial sustainability of our organization, as we delivered many positive changes for Confederations, National Federations, boxers, and coaches. This is just the beginning of the journey, with many more positive changes to IBA,” he wrote.
