AIBA Lift Suspension on Dutch Boxing Association

The European Women’s Boxing Championships in Rotterdam can go ahead as planned after the International Boxing Association (AIBA) lifted its provisional suspension of the Dutch Boxing Association (DBA).

The suspension of the DBA was sanctioned on 23rd February over “irregularities and rule violations related to the organization of the so-called Final Four tournament last year”. 

Following the suspension order, the European Boxing Confederation had on the same day issued fresh tenders to find another host city for the European Women Championships.  

Despite announcing that the suspension had been lifted, the AIBA disciplinary commission slapped a fine of around US$2,180, plus a further $1,090 in costs on the DBA.

The case pertained to the “Final Four” competition that the DBA had organised last year – on 3 April 2010 – involving amateur, professional and kick boxers, without the use of headguards or vests and in spite of a warning from AIBA.

According to a statement issued by AIBA: “The DBA wrote directly to Aiba on February 24, 2011 to explain that the “Final Four” was organized as a pilot event and that the DBA was not aware of any warning from AIBA. The DBA believed that the initiative was in line with the developments within AIBA, based on the existence of the World Series of Boxing. The DBA board admitted in the letter that they had made a major mistake in their judgments.

“In correspondences between the Dutch Olympic Committee and AIBA’s president CK Wu, the Olympic Committee explained the problems regarding the recent history of the DBA, which had led it to intervene and install a new board, consisting of newcomers to the world of sport. The warning regarding the “Final Four” had been sent to the previous DBA president, who had only shared the information with selected persons. The Board was therefore unaware of the warning. On behalf of the Dutch boxing family, the National Olympic Committee apologized for the trouble caused. AIBA has also asked the president of the Dutch Olympic Committee to meet with the AIBA president to discuss the situation of boxing in the Netherlands and in particular the Dutch Boxing Association’s situation.”

The statement concludes, “In a submission of March 7, 2011 the DBA fully recognized that ‘it has committed a serious violation of the Aiba technical & competition rules and ethics code’. Measures have since been taken to ensure that such problems will not occur in future and the DBA is preparing a statement for its website, in Dutch and English, to report the mistake made and state its apologies to Aiba and the world of boxing.”