IBA President Kremlev: If IOC wants to conduct Olympic qualifiers they should ask us

IBA president Umar Kremlev on Tuesday asserted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) can’t hold Olympic qualifying championships without taking the world boxing body’s permission.

President of the International Boxing Association (IBA) Umar Kremlev. | Photo Credit: AFP

The president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), Umar Kremlev declared that India was the capital of women’s boxing, when he addressed the media here on Tuesday.

With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) keeping the IBA under suspension, the focus was on Olympic qualifiers, but the president of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), Ajay Singh reiterated that it was time to celebrate women’s boxing and the World Championship in the country.

Kremlev asserted that the Olympic qualifiers would have to be conducted only in collaboration with IBA and no other organisation had any authority to host them.

“The IOC representative would be here and review our work”, he said.

Stressing that the lucrative prize money of $2.4 million for the Women’s World Championship to be staged in 12 weight categories at the KD Jadhav Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium from Thursday, was to help the boxers make a career from the sport, the IBA president assured that the prize money would be increased in the future editions of the championship.

The entire prize money has been arranged by the IBA and the president stated that financial support was also given to various national federations to help them field their teams in the World Championship.

It was felt that the initiative had helped the total number of boxers to reach more than 330, as compared to about 250 for such events in the past.

Sara Haghighat Joo, the 18-year-old boxer from Sierra Leone, who shared the stage with World and Olympic champion Estelle Mossely, apart from the small-size singler Abdu Rozik, said that she could come for the championship with her coach thanks to the support of the world body.

“I am super excited to be in India for the second time, and see Mary Kom”, said Sara.

“I wanted all to attend the world championship”, said Kremlev, through an interpreter.

Estelle Mossely who has had a taste of professional boxing after winning the World and Olympic gold in 2016, said that she was having Paris Olympics as her target.

“For me, the World Championship is the most important to prepare”, said Estelle, as she thanked the IBA for the fabulous financial reward for the medallists.

The championship will be telecast live by Doordarshan, while Sony Sports will also be showing the championship from the quarterfinals stage.