In one corner of the ring: The International Boxing Federation IBA, which defies CAS rulings (the Court of Arbitration for Sport) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and which, through an undemocratic government, is about to get boxing kicked out of the Olympics.
In the other corner of the ring: a number of Western countries, including Sweden, who have been involved in starting a challenger association (World Boxing) to save the sport in the Olympics.
Sweden is one of several boxing nations that are boycotting the ongoing men’s WC in Tashkent because Iba welcomes Russians and Belarusians, and without reservation.
Swedish twins in the WC
In response to the boycott, Iba has invited all boxers who want to join, paying for the trip to Uzbekistan. Two Swedes have taken up the offer, twin brothers Adel and Adam Belalia, 25, who in the World Cup are moving up in the 67- and 75-kilogram classes. They have their roots in the Stockholm suburb of Hässelby.
— They no longer live in Sweden and have no license here. Nevertheless, they stand under the Swedish flag in the WC, says Sjöholm.
— Several other countries also have boxers there that they have not approved. Iba is still playing a game, and it continues in a nasty way.
The Swedish Boxing Federation has written a letter of protest to the IBA, which is led by the Russian Umar Kremlev, to disclaim responsibility for the Swedes and to hear how it was possible that Swedes who do not have a license in Sweden are allowed to participate.
Since World Boxing (WB) was formed just under a month ago, Iba has broken the sponsorship deal with the Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom and formed an ad hoc committee that will try to persuade the IOC to let boxing remain on the Olympic program. Sjöholm does not think they will succeed.
— Nothing has changed more than the termination of the Gazprom agreement. Iba still doesn’t care about democratic rules of the game, they have clearly shown that when they didn’t care about, for example, decisions in Cas (the Court of Arbitration for Sport), he says.
Remaining in Iba
And despite the fact that the IOC has decided that Iba may not organize the Olympic qualifiers or the Olympic competitions in Paris next year, they are trying to show who is in charge, says Sjöholm.
— They have told us which boxers can go to the European Games (Olympic qualifiers) and they have nothing to do with that, he says.
Sjöholm is not worried that Iba will come to an agreement with the IOC about the Olympics, so that the new organization WB does not get a platform. But the Swedish boxing federation will still not leave IBA until it is known which international federation will be allowed to organize the Olympic boxing.
“It’s the Olympics that matter to us, the Olympic connection is the most important thing,” says Sjöholm.