AIBA Dishes Out Ban to English Amateur Boxing

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) have handed an international suspension to the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) which may prevent the country’s top amateur boxers from competing in the World Championships this October in Kazakhstan.

An AIBA statement on the temporary ban stated that the ABAE have been disciplined for what the federation calls “for serious breaches of the AIBA Statutes/Bylaws and the AIBA Technical & Competition Rules” after a unanimous vote by the AIBA Executive Committee.

The ban prevents all ABAE boxers, coaches and officials from participating in future AIBA and Confederation Competitions.

Although the AIBA Executive Committee have referred the matter to the AIBA Disciplinary Commission for further investigation, ABAE remains confident about the association’s future in the world amateur boxing: “We believe this situation can be addressed speedily and we are certain that it will not in any way impact on the participation of English boxers in this year’s World Championships or any major international tournaments in 2014,” an ABAE spokesperson said about the ban.

British amateur boxing has suffered from political in-fighting since Derek Mapp – chairman of the ABAE constituent part, the British Amateur Boxing Association – was ousted from his post in May despite five medals at the 2012 Olympics.