IBA Calls For Candidates To Serve On Reformed Board of Directors

Lausanne, 4 February 2022; The International Boxing Association (IBA) called for candidates for election to positions on the IBA Board of Directors, including that of President. Prior to becoming candidates, they will undergo an unprecedented set of eligibility checks that will also determine which candidates have the right skills to help lead IBA to a brighter future. 

“Over the past year, IBA has undergone a very impressive transformation in our ability to serve boxers. We have made huge progress in governance reform, financial integrity and sporting integrity,” said IBA President Umar Kremlev. “The way these elections will take place reflects that transformation. The IBA election process has been developed to the highest standards, with the support of the best minds in governance, and we are grateful for that support.”

While the current IBA Board of Directors features 28 members, the next Board will be reduced to 18: 

●      President – elected by the IBA Congress

●      Five Directors representing the Continental Confederations – elected by the Confederations

●      Ten independent Directors – elected by the IBA Congress

●      Two athletes – elected by their peers

The forthcoming elections will be for the President and the ten independent Directors. Of the ten independent Directors, at least five must be women and there must be at least one from each continent.

The final deadline for nominations is 2 March. A list of eligible candidates will be published by 22 April and the elections will take place at an Electoral Congress on 13-14 May, during the IBA Women’s World Championships in Istanbul.

All candidates must provide detailed evidence of their eligibility according to a set of strict criteria, including term limits. All candidates will also be subject to comprehensive background checks conducted by Genius Sports, an independent provider. 

An independent Interim Nomination Unit will further examine the applications and will apply a skills analysis to those nominated for the position of independent Director. Skills being sought include finance, marketing, medical and exceptional sporting ability. After its analysis, the independent Unit is expected to recommend a group of 20-30 candidates for election.  

The independent Interim Nomination Unit’s five members are:

●      Prof. Piermarco Zen-Ruffinen, Professor Emeritus of the Law Faculty at the University of Neuchatel

●      Dr. Catherine Ordway, Sport Integrity Research Lead at the University of Canberra, Chair of the Badminton World Federation Vetting Panel

●      Louise Reilly, Barrister-at-Law, Chair of the Board of the Biathlon Integrity Unit

●      Jacques Blondin, Head of Regulatory Enforcement at FIFA 

●      Roberto Cammarelle, AIBA World Champion and Olympic Champion 

The election process was developed by an independent Governance Reform Group led by Prof. Ulrich Haas. The Group’s report was approved unanimously by IBA members at an Extraordinary Congress held in December 2021. 

The elections will also be conducted in accordance with a comprehensive set of regulations.

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