AIBA 'exceeded' governance requirements and finances are under control, says Rakhimov
The International Boxing Federation (AIBA) has "exceeded" the governance requirements which are threatening the sport's place at the Tokyo Olympics, according to recently elected president Gafur Rakhimov. "As an organisation we have a lot to be proud of, the work we have done together this last year has revitalised AIBA and boxing," the controversial Uzbek businessman said in a statement released on Wednesday. Last month the IOC said it would remove boxing from the Tokyo Olympics if "governance problems" were not resolved. A final decision on boxing's inclusion in 2020 will be taken at the IOC's executive board meeting in Tokyo on December 1. Rakhimov insisted that after being in the lower end of the governance assessment by the association of Olympic sports federations, AIBA had turned things around. "We are now exactly in the middle of all summer international federations," said Rakhimov who was elected president of AIBA earlier this month, after leading the body as interim president from the start of 2017. "Once the changes that were approved at our Congress are implemented, AIBA is expecting to move into the top half. "We have accomplished our mission and exceeded the governance requirements for change." Rakhimov also claimed that AIBA's delicate financial position had been resolved. "After being close to insolvency at the end of 2017, I am happy to report that our financial situation is now under control. "AIBA’s cash flow is now positive and will remain stable following the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. "While AIBA will have a negative balance for the coming years, it will turn a positive return at a disciplined, controlled and steady rate. Therefore, with regards to finances, everything is under control." Last week Rakhimov said that amateur boxing was "100 percent compliant with anti-doping" rules and vowed that "boxing will always stay in the Olympics". The US Treasury Department has linked Rakhimov to "transnational criminal organisations". He has vigorously denied the allegations, telling AFP in a recent interview that he had "never been involved in transnational criminal organisations or whatever has been said about me". He called his presence on the US Treasury list a "mistake" and hoped it would be "corrected" within six months.
