AIBA suspends South Korea
Bad news for South Korean boxing fans. The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) has suspended the country from its roster after the Korean Amateur Boxing Federation failed to elect a new chairman
to replace Yoo Jae-joon.
In a statement addressed to the Korean Olympic Committee, the world governing body said it made the decision after the KABF refused to follow its orders to elect a new leader and an executive body by 10
September. The letter also stated that former KABF president Yoo continued to meddle with AIBA-sanctioned tournaments despite his resignation. AIBA also accused Yoo of giving bribes and tarnishing the image of the sport in the country. The world governing
body will formalise South Korea's suspension during its executive meeting on 2 November.
AIBA suspended Yoo last year for allowing an unauthorized person to serve as a team doctor to the South Korean national team in an international event. Many believe that the bad blood between the KABF
and AIBA started in 2006 when Yoo supported the late Anwar Chowdhry, the main rival of current AIBA president Wu Ching-kuo, during the body’s election. Yoo's relationship with other KABF members also turned sour as soon as he took office early last year. Several
KABF board members complained that a regional student-competition, which was held during Yoo's term, had flaws in the weigh-in.
The suspension means that South Korea cannot send boxers to AIBA-sanctioned international events, including the World Championships and Olympic Games. The country's participation in next month's Asian
Games in Guangzhou, China, is also in jeopardy. Unless they can resolve the issue at the end of the month, the country will not be allowed to send boxers to the quadrennial meet. South Korea was supposed to send 10 boxers to Guangzhou. The KABF is set to hold
a board meeting this week to discuss the matter. The deadline for the submission of entries to the Guangzhou Asiad is on 30 September.
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