Latest news with #Kremlev
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
IBA Chief Umar Kremlev Lambasts Thomas Bach, Calls For IOC To Strip Imane Khelif Off Paris 2024 Gold
Kremlev urged the IOC to strip Algerian pugilist Khelif off her Paris 2024 gold citing her failed gender test results in the lead up to the quadrennial event. International Boxing Association chief Umar Kremlev voiced that the International Olympic Committee should strip Algerian boxer Imane Khelif of the gold she claimed in the women's 63 Kg category at the Paris Olympics 2024, and held former IOC chief Thomas Bach responsible for the pugilists participation in the quadrennial event despite the furore about her gender. Khelif was at the midst of the gender controversy that surrounded the Olympics in Paris but the Algerian did not let the storm get to her as she managed to claim the top-spot in her category. 'There is a lot of corruption surrounding the IOC, and many violations of good sporting principles," Kremlev said. 'The IOC is not fighting for the fairness in sport. The IOC is giving away medals based on their political interests. Imane Khelif should be made to return the Olympic medal from Paris," he continued. Kremlev reflected on the two times Khelfi had failed the gender eligibility test, due to presence of XY chromosome, first in 2022 and then again in 2023 and was disqualified from IBA events. Bach, however, gave the green light for the participation of Khelif at the global spectacle. 'The first test was carried out during the 2022 World Championships, after we noticed some suspicious, suspicious moments. We decided to test a group of athletes, not just one or two. Two of the results came back, let's say, abnormal," Kremlev revealed. 'It was the first time we had encountered a situation like this, so we felt it was necessary to conduct a second round of testing to be absolutely sure before making such a serious decision,' he added. Kremlev went on to snipe at Bach stating that the German's decisions were often politically motivated. 'Thomas Bach has always put politics to the podium, not the athletes who should be there in fact. And that's why a lot of sponsors have refused working the IOC further, because they are violating sports principles," Kremlev continued. 'Thomas Bach is leaving his position and running away like a rat," he added. 'He should kneel and apologise to all the female boxers who became victims of this situation. And he should financially compensate every athlete who suffered. And of course, the Olympic medals should be returned," he added. Bach, who made way for new IOC chief Kirsty Coventry at the helm of the international body, barred Russian athletes from taking part at the Olympics under the country's banner due to Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Kremlev questioned as to why Bach did not address the conflicts in the middle-east in the same manner. 'Why is he putting everything on Russia's shoulders? Why doesn't he comment on the situation between Israel and Iran, or between Israel and Gaza?' Kremlev went to on laud USA President Donald Trump for his stance on the participation of transgender women in women's sport. 'As you know, Donald Trump signed an order stating that women's sport is for women and men's sport is for men. I'm absolutely confident that no one will be able to bypass this at the Olympic Games now, because the rules have become very strict," the 42-year-old said. 'Everyone is copying us — they're conducting gender tests and are now being forced to do so. What we were calling for all along, the rest of the world is finally doing. They can't avoid it anymore, because the order has been signed — it's now law in the United States," the Russian added.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
True extent of Imane Khelif's failed drug tests finally revealed
Imane Khelif won Olympic gold at last summer's Games in Paris, but the International Boxing Association have accused the Algerian of failing gender tests IBA president Umar Kremlev has urged the IOC to strip Imane Khelif 's Olympic gold medal, alleging she failed gender tests in 2022 and 2023. The 26-year-old Algerian boxer, who clinched the women's welterweight title in Paris, faced controversy over her eligibility. In a stunning display, Khelif knocked out Italy's Angela Carini in just 46 seconds during her second bout, with Carini leaving the ring in distress, reportedly exclaiming, "It's not fair." Despite competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Khelif's participation has been a contentious issue, especially after the IOC faced backlash for allowing her to compete. Previously, at the IBA World Championships in New Delhi, Khelif was barred from a final against China's Yang Liu due to failing an unspecified eligibility test set by the Russian-led authority. Kremlev has now disclosed details of the 2022 test results from the world championships in Turkey, which he labelled as "abnormal." Speaking to the Daily Mail, Kremlev said: "It was the first time we had encountered a situation like this, so we felt it was necessary to conduct a second round of testing to be absolutely sure before making such a serious decision." The testing occurred a year later in India, according to Kremlev who revealed the findings were consistent: "Both tests showed XY chromosomes. That does not meet the eligibility requirements for female boxing. After that, the athletes were disqualified, and of course, we informed the IOC about the situation." Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting was also amongst those who failed the gender verification tests. Informed of these results, both pugilists were allotted 21 days to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport – neither contested, solidifying their disqualification. Surprisingly, less than 12 months on, Khelif clinched Olympic glory, having been green lit by the IOC to participate in Paris. Kremlev accused the IOC president of betraying the sport, claiming their stance has led to sponsors withdrawing their backing for the Summer Games. Despite the furore, Khelif has publicly vowed to compete in 2028 in Los Angeles, and has hit back at criticism from US President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, World Boxing apologised to Khelif after the boxer was named in the governing body's announcement of mandatory sex testing. A week prior to the apology, the governing body revealed that Khelif, 26, must undergo sex testing if she wishes to compete in any women's event organised or sanctioned by World Boxing. The initial announcement from the governing body - which will oversee boxing at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 - had included the publication of a letter sent to the Algerian Boxing Federation, explaining the requirement for Khelif to undergo sex screening to continue to be able to compete in this month's Eindhoven Box Cup or any other women's event under its authority.
The Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Boxing-Kremlev says Olympics will be just for kids if IBA stays excluded
FILE PHOTO: International Boxing Association (IBA) president Umar Kremlev speaks during the opening ceremony of Women's World Boxing Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium in New Delhi, India, March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) -Olympic boxing will become just a youth tournament if the International Boxing Association stays excluded as a governing body, IBA president Umar Kremlev said on Monday. The Russian told Reuters through a translator that the IBA, suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019 and stripped of recognition in 2023, was heading into a 'golden era' of its own. "For the boxers it will be important to participate in the world championships and the IBA tournaments. The Olympics will be for the children. It's children's sport," he said via a Zoom call. "It's like football and the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. "The Olympic games are not developing the sport itself while the International Federation does. "The most important tournaments should be IBA tournaments including world championships as a pinnacle and Olympic tournaments should be in parallel just for the youth generation, for kids." Speaking on the day former Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry took the helm of the IOC from Thomas Bach, Kremlev spoke of the German in derogatory terms and offered no conciliatory words to either. He said future IOC presidents should be elected by countries rather than individual IOC members and Coventry should "leave no trace of Bach". Kremlev has history in attacking the IOC and Bach, doing so at the Paris Games in a long and rambling press conference last August that drew a withering response from the Olympic organisation. "If you ever needed any evidence at all that the IBA is unfit to run boxing just look at the key members of the IBA who took part in that travesty," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said at the time. Kremlev also repeated a call for Olympic athletes to be paid prize money. Kremlev heaped scorn on World Boxing, the body created in 2023 that now has more than 100 members and is set to organise the 2028 tournament after the last two were run by the IOC. "Nobody should compare this particular organization with the IBA because the IBA is a huge elephant and this organization is a fly, a small insect who doesn't live," said the Russian. The boxing competition at the Paris 2024 Games was run by the IOC after it stripped the IBA of recognition for failing to implement reforms on governance and finance. The IBA decided anyway to award prize money to boxers competing in Paris. Kremlev said more details about the IBA's future plans would come at a press conference in Istanbul on July 2. He also gave an update on legal action, threatened in February, against the IOC for allowing Algerian gold medallist Imane Khelif to compete in the women's tournament at the Paris Games in a gender-eligibility row. Kremlev said the IBA's legal team was still looking into the matter but would be taking it to civil courts and not the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Boxing-Kremlev says Olympics will be just for kids if IBA stays excluded
FILE PHOTO: International Boxing Association (IBA) president Umar Kremlev speaks during the opening ceremony of Women's World Boxing Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium in New Delhi, India, March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo Boxing-Kremlev says Olympics will be just for kids if IBA stays excluded LONDON - Olympic boxing will become just a youth tournament if the International Boxing Association stays excluded as a governing body, IBA president Umar Kremlev said on Monday. The Russian told Reuters through a translator that the IBA, suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019 and stripped of recognition in 2023, was heading into a 'golden era' of its own. "For the boxers it will be important to participate in the world championships and the IBA tournaments. The Olympics will be for the children. It's children's sport," he said via a Zoom call. "It's like football and the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. "The Olympic games are not developing the sport itself while the International Federation does. "The most important tournaments should be IBA tournaments including world championships as a pinnacle and Olympic tournaments should be in parallel just for the youth generation, for kids." Speaking on the day former Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry took the helm of the IOC from Thomas Bach, Kremlev spoke of the German in derogatory terms and offered no conciliatory words to either. He said future IOC presidents should be elected by countries rather than individual IOC members and Coventry should "leave no trace of Bach". Kremlev has history in attacking the IOC and Bach, doing so at the Paris Games in a long and rambling press conference last August that drew a withering response from the Olympic organisation. "If you ever needed any evidence at all that the IBA is unfit to run boxing just look at the key members of the IBA who took part in that travesty," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said at the time. Kremlev also repeated a call for Olympic athletes to be paid prize money. Kremlev heaped scorn on World Boxing, the body created in 2023 that now has more than 100 members and is set to organise the 2028 tournament after the last two were run by the IOC. "Nobody should compare this particular organization with the IBA because the IBA is a huge elephant and this organization is a fly, a small insect who doesn't live," said the Russian. The boxing competition at the Paris 2024 Games was run by the IOC after it stripped the IBA of recognition for failing to implement reforms on governance and finance. The IBA decided anyway to award prize money to boxers competing in Paris. Kremlev said more details about the IBA's future plans would come at a press conference in Istanbul on July 2. He also gave an update on legal action, threatened in February, against the IOC for allowing Algerian gold medallist Imane Khelif to compete in the women's tournament at the Paris Games in a gender-eligibility row. Kremlev said the IBA's legal team was still looking into the matter but would be taking it to civil courts and not the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Boxing-Kremlev says Olympics will be just for kids if IBA stays excluded
By Alan Baldwin HT Image LONDON, - Olympic boxing will become just a youth tournament if the International Boxing Association stays excluded as a governing body, IBA president Umar Kremlev said on Monday. The Russian told Reuters through a translator that the IBA, suspended by the International Olympic Committee in 2019 and stripped of recognition in 2023, was heading into a 'golden era' of its own. "For the boxers it will be important to participate in the world championships and the IBA tournaments. The Olympics will be for the children. It's children's sport," he said via a Zoom call. "It's like football and the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. "The Olympic games are not developing the sport itself while the International Federation does. "The most important tournaments should be IBA tournaments including world championships as a pinnacle and Olympic tournaments should be in parallel just for the youth generation, for kids." Speaking on the day former Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry took the helm of the IOC from Thomas Bach, Kremlev spoke of the German in derogatory terms and offered no conciliatory words to either. He said future IOC presidents should be elected by countries rather than individual IOC members and Coventry should "leave no trace of Bach". Kremlev has history in attacking the IOC and Bach, doing so at the Paris Games in a long and rambling press conference last August that drew a withering response from the Olympic organisation. "If you ever needed any evidence at all that the IBA is unfit to run boxing just look at the key members of the IBA who took part in that travesty," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said at the time. Kremlev also repeated a call for Olympic athletes to be paid prize money. Kremlev heaped scorn on World Boxing, the body created in 2023 that now has more than 100 members and is set to organise the 2028 tournament after the last two were run by the IOC. "Nobody should compare this particular organization with the IBA because the IBA is a huge elephant and this organization is a fly, a small insect who doesn't live," said the Russian. The boxing competition at the Paris 2024 Games was run by the IOC after it stripped the IBA of recognition for failing to implement reforms on governance and finance. The IBA decided anyway to award prize money to boxers competing in Paris. Kremlev said more details about the IBA's future plans would come at a press conference in Istanbul on July 2. He also gave an update on legal action, threatened in February, against the IOC for allowing Algerian gold medallist Imane Khelif to compete in the women's tournament at the Paris Games in a gender-eligibility row. Kremlev said the IBA's legal team was still looking into the matter but would be taking it to civil courts and not the Court of Arbitration for Sport . This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
