The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has re-elected Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, as its President for a third consecutive term.
Dr. Wu, an IOC Executive Board member, was elected unopposed by delegates from 2014 AIBA Congress just ended in Jeju, Korea. Delegates gave him a standing ovation.
Speaking after his re-election, Dr. Wu said: “This is a very touching moment. You have all expressed your support for my candidature. With the confidence and trust you have given me, I can carry out the promises I made to you. And you know that I always keep my promises.
Dr Wu continued: “Eight years ago, I promised I would carry out reforms and I have done so. For the next four years there is still a lot of work ahead of us. We have laid the foundations, but speaking as an architect, we need to add more layers to create a solid and enduring structure.
“I am very much looking forward to seeing the final outcome of these initiatives over the coming four years. I declare that ‘impossible is not our word’ until we have taken boxing back to its Golden Age.”
Dr. Wu also outlined his key priorities for the coming four years, which included:
- Ensuring that more women were appointed to leadership positions in boxing;
- Establishing a ‘boxer centered’ organization by opening the doors for boxers to take up leadership positions;
- Continuing to expand the World Series of Boxing (WSB) competition and the AIBA Pro-Boxing competition (APB), while at the same time increasing their commercial value;
- Investing the revenues from Elite competitions into developing future generations of boxers by targeting funds towards the grassroots of the sport around the world.
In addition to re-electing President Wu, delegates from national federations also voted to appoint new Vice Presidents and Executive Committee members for the coming four years.The Vice President appointments are:
- VP for Africa: Kelani Bayor (Togo)
- VP for America: Osvaldo Bisbal (Argentina)
- VP for Asia: Serik Konakbayev (Kazakhstan)
- VP for Europe: Franco Falcinelli (Italy)
- VP for Oceania: Ted Tanner (Australia)
In addition, three new Vice Presidents were appointed:
- Di Wu (China) VP representing the Boxing Marketing Arm (BMA).
- Timur Kulibayev (Kazakhstan) VP representing the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB)
- Gofur Rakhimov (Russia) VP representing the World Series of Boxing (WSB)
Executive Committee members are:
- From Africa: Mohamed Moustahsane (Morocco) and Nabil Sadi (Algeria)
- From America: Alberto Puig De La Barca (Cuba) and Ray Silvas (USA)
- From Asia: Yan Yue (China) and Yoon Seok Chang (Korea)
- From Europe: Terry Smith (Wales) and Suleyman Mikayilov (Azerbaijan)
- From Oceania: Mapu Jamias (American Samoa)
Additional EC members elected are:
- Fran Lopez Almeida (Venezuela)
- Jurgen Kyas (Germany)
- Eyup Gozgec (Turkey)
- Steve Ninvalle (Guyana)
- Pat Fiacco (Canada)
With the closing of 2014 AIBA Congress, all Delegates unanimously approved and unveiled the following declarations for the further enhancement of its key initiatives for the successful fulfillment of the mission set on October 22, 2007 in Chicago to govern the sport of boxing in all of its forms.
- One of the priorities of AIBA in the next 4 years is to build and develop a tangible career protection plan for all AIBA boxers, especially in regard to the safety and post boxing career welfare and options.
- Enhancement of overall Women’s participation in the sport of boxing is another primary goal of AIBA and it will further invest into development programs for all levels of Women boxers.
- AIBA decisions on the recent revolutionary adoption of “One Technical Rules” for all AIBA Competition Programs, AOB, APB and WSB, and its decision to remove Headguards for Elite Men Competitions have been unanimously endorsed by the Congress.
- All members of the International Boxing Association will give their best coordinated efforts to protect the image and reputation of the world governing body of the sport of boxing in all of its forms from any outside ill-intentioned influence which seeks to disrupt the harmony and unity of our organization.
- AIBA will continue working to prevent, including through the use of disciplinary sanctions, any possible corruption, matching fixing, gambling and violence inside or outside of rings.
- AIBA continues maintaining its principle of abandoning the use of the word “Amateur” in relation to its sport programs and dissociating the sport of boxing from images of it being a “Combat and Martial Art Sport” in order to ensure the protection of its original characteristic as the “Noble Art” sport.
All AIBA Congress delegates strongly support the present governance and all of the sport initiatives being implemented by the current administration for the best interests of all AIBA boxers and future young boxing generations.
