June 29, 2023
Dear Confederations,
Dear National Federations,
Today we would like to kindly address you all to deliver some important information about the future of IBA, albeit the initial thoughts and likely questions will not be addressed in this correspondence, but we have been working extremely hard on your behalf to shape the way in which the organisation will continue to operate in the future.
We would like to stress at this point, there should be no panic amongst National Federations and Confederations. The situation has been remaining the same for several years and our position as a world-class organisation developing boxing from the grassroots has never changed. We continue to support our athletes to reach their full and true potential; indeed, we follow closely those who are participating in the European Games now in Poland.
Meanwhile, the IBA remains committed to all National Federations and our vision regarding the delivery of high-level events will support the constant growth of our boxers. In addition, we remain at the very forefront of course delivery, with subject matter experts rolling out high-quality courses every week to our people; we are truly committed to our development programs to educate coaches, referees, judges, technical officials, and medical personnel.
Please note that the following confirmed event calendar ensures ample opportunity for athletes to compete at the highest level:
- IBA Champions’ Night – Phuket, Thailand (15 July 2023)
- International Boxing Day and Global Boxing Forum 2023 (27 August)
- WBT Golden Belt Series – Slovenia (November)
- Junior World Championships – Mexico (November)
- WBT Diamond Belt Series – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (15 December 2023)
With the latest news, we are mindful that you may have a lot of questions about what is happening with IBA, and what the latest announcement from the IOC means in real time. With this in mind, we kindly ask you to share your thoughts and views, along with any questions that you may have to better understand your perspectives from a Confederation and National Federation space. We have created a platform for you to share your concerns and ask any questions you may have.
IBA National Federation Online Feedback Form (please submit by 17:00 CEST, 7 July 2023)
To address your questions and concerns in an open and transparent manner, the IBA will hold a series of Virtual IBA Forums for us to engage and to discuss the urgent matters affecting our sport. During the above-mentioned Forums, you will have the opportunity to also hear the most Frequently asked Questions (FAQs)from the survey, along with those shared views that can be discussed during the online event.
In addition, we are kindly asking you to indicate your sources of income from the National Federation you represent. This is important for us to understand as our Financial Support Program (FSP) must be tailored to the needs of our National Federations and Confederations. We are pleased to share that we have secured funds for the next 4-year cycle to support our members, and the grants given will grow from $20,000 to $50,000 in 2024, and in 2025 the sum will reach $100,000 per National Federation. We are currently in the process of selecting a commercial partner from the several proposals we have received, and we are grateful to all companies that are willing to support the sport of boxing.
Finally, we would like to stress that the IBA over the last 6 years has been able to grow without receiving a single penny from its Olympic income. From the edge of bankruptcy, we managed to demonstrate the full financial sustainability of our organization, as we delivered many positive changes for Confederations, National Federations, boxers, and coaches. This is just the beginning of the journey, with many more positive changes to IBA.
We must remain focused on our core business and remain united as an organisation; IBA is the Home of Boxing, and IBA Means Boxing.
Umar Kremlev
President of the International Boxing Association (IBA)
The letter can be read here.