President of the International Boxing Association (IBA), Umar Kremlev will remain at the helm of amateur boxing following a voting process during the body’s Extraordinary Congress yesterday in Yerevan, Armenia.
IBA affiliates which included Guyana, voted 106 to 36 for Kremlev to remain in the top post in a landslide decision for the Russian. The voting was to ascertain whether or not national federations thought another Presidential election was needed after Kremlev was controversially re-elected earlier this year.
Kremlev, who first won the presidency in 2020, was re-elected IBA president by acclamation after an independent panel ruled that his opponent, Holland’s Boris van der Vorst was ineligible.
The independent panel had investigated complaints against van der Vorst which included collaboration with officials that were standing for other positions in the organization which were deemed “prohibited,” the Reuters News Agency had reported.
The Dutchman subsequently appealed his exclusion to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and in June, the CAS ruled that barring him from participating in the elections were not justified.
Yesterday, the affiliates voted overwhelmingly that there was no need for another election paving the way for Kremlev to remain President.
According to President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle who was one of the speakers at the Congress, Guyana’s vote was in favour of Kremlev remaining in leadership.
“There has been a meteoric rise in support and development for the sport across the world. In the Caribbean, Oceana, Asia, Africa and Europe, we have seen what he has done since taking office 20 months ago,” said Ninvalle.
“This is the first time in the history that we have had amateur boxers getting incentives in the form of cash and we will follow that at our National Open Championships, all of the medalist will be receiving cash,” he added.
Ninvalle who described yesterday’s proceeding as ‘pivotal’, reiterated that Kremlev is “steadfast for the development of amateur boxing across the world.”
According to Ninvalle, during Kremlev’s speech following the voting, he stated that he is working for IBA and not a third party.
Ninvalle concluded by stating that “Boxing outside the Olympics have been flourishing under Umar Kremlev and I guess that is why there was the overwhelming support not to have another election and to have him remain as President of IBA.”
