LAUSANNE, Switzerland (RUSHPRNEWS) AUGUST 18, 2008 –The International Boxing Association (AIBA) Executive Committee took further impressive steps to reform the sport of boxing at its Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting at the Beijing Grand Millennium Hotel on Monday by approving many key proposals including the selection of the 1st AIBA Boxing Academy, the host of the 2009 Junior World Championships and approving new Competition and Technical rules.

The AIBA President Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu opened the meeting thanking all Executive Committee members, ITOs and referee and judges for their full cooperation towards making the 2008 Olympic Games the most successful Olympic Games ever.

“The whole competition has been clean, honest and transparent and fully reflects the new AIBA reform,” Dr. Wu said. “The IOC President Dr. Jacques Rogge has said that AIBA has done an excellent job. All the NOC presidents and secretary generals who have come to watch boxing have all been impressed and this must continue. The new Disciplinary Commission and Code of Conduct for all officials and staff are two key initiatives which have been integral in improving the performance across all areas of boxing. We must maintain the highest level of judging and retain these excellent standards.”

The key decision of the meeting saw the Canadian city of Bécancour, in the province of Québec, and Moscow, Russia both selected to host AIBA’s new innovative Boxing Academy. The picturesque city of Bécancour will receive the honour of opening the first Academy after winning a secret ballot 18-10. The timing of the second Academy opening in Moscow will depend on the progress of the first Academy. China and Kazakhstan had earlier withdrawn their respective candidature files.

“We congratulate both parties on an excellent presentation and candidature file,” Dr Wu said following the announcement. “They were both extremely professional and the entire Executive Committee was suitably impressed. We now have taken a significant step in a project which will lift the standards across all areas of boxing.”

The AIBA Boxing Academy will comprise of a centre of excellence offering the best integrated educational and physical training programs in order to lead the development of boxing around the world. Areas of focus within the boxing family include athletes, coaches, referees and judges, ringside physicians, sport managers and administrators.

 

In other major decisions:

 

• The capital of Armenia, Yerevan was selected as the host city of the 2009 AIBA Junior World Championships. Projected dates for the tournament are May 22-31.

 

• New AIBA Technical and Competition Rules were approved to come into effect on September 1, 2008 including the following key changes:
– change of rounds from four of two minutes to three of three minutes  (effective from January 1, 2009).
– removal of scoring jury
– change of weight categories for women and youth girls to be aligned more closely with men to feature 11 weight categories: 46 kg 48 kg, 51 kg, 54 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 64 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg, 81 kg and +81 kg (effective from January 1, 2009).

 

• The AIBA Executive Committee announced its full support for including women’s boxing in the 2012 Olympic Games and agreed to develop a proposal and submit it to the IOC in the coming months.

 

• AIBA Vice President and President of the Americas Confederation Mr. Jorge Guzmán Socarras (CUB) resigned from the AIBA Executive Committee due to personal reasons. AIBA Vice President Ing. Domingo Solano Garcia (DOM) was named as the new President of the Americas Confederation while AIBA Executive Committee member Mr. Osvaldo Rafael Bisbal (ARG) was named as AIBA Vice President in the place of Mr. Guzmán. The Executive Committee position of Mr. Bisbal will be filled by a representative of Cuba.

 

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NEWS SOURCE: The International Boxing Association