GENEVA: The International Boxing Association was banished from the Olympic family on Thursday, ending a years-long dispute fueled by defying advice and instructions from the IOC. Boxing, however, will keep its status as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Games.
The International Olympic Committee voted to derecognize the IBA at a specially called meeting — an outcome that was inevitable after being recommended two weeks ago by the executive board, a body chaired by IOC president Thomas Bach.
The vote was 69-1, with 10 members abstaining.
Boxing was never really in danger of being kicked out of the Olympics over the four years since the IOC suspended the sport’s governing body in an effort to force changes.
“We highly value the sport of boxing. We have an extremely serious problem with IBA because of their governance,” Bach told IOC members during their online meeting.
The dispute centered on the IBA’s management under presidents from Uzbekistan and Russia who the IOC disapproved of, its finances being backed by Russian state energy firm Gazprom, plus the integrity of bouts and judging.
“The boxers fully deserve to be governed by an international federation with integrity and transparency,” Bach said.
The IOC is already overseeing boxing competitions for the Paris Olympics without IBA involvement, as it did for the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Boxing can now be confirmed on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic program, which the IOC and Bach withheld as leverage against IBA. Boxing is “guaranteed” to be in Los Angeles, members were told Thursday.
The sport is good for Olympic business with broad appeal — 25 different countries won boxing medals in Tokyo, with nine taking gold — and the IOC repeatedly said its problem was with boxing officials, not its athletes.
“We appreciate boxing as one of the most global sports. We embrace the values of boxing,” Bach said, praising the sport’s “important social role promoting inclusion.”
Olympic boxing has had a tainted reputation for decades, typified by notorious judging at the 1988 Seoul Games that denied American light-middleweight Roy Jones Jr. the gold medal against home fighter Park Si-hun. Jones, who now has Russian citizenship, was enlisted by the IBA last year to support its fight for Olympic status.
There were allegations ahead of the 2012 London Olympics of cash deals planned to fix medals, and further doubt cast by fighters on the integrity of bouts at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
At those Olympics, the president of boxing’s governing body, then known by its French acronym AIBA, was a long-time IOC member C.K. Wu of Taiwan.
After Wu was ousted by boxing officials in 2017, the sport’s problems with the IOC intensified.
National federations defied IOC warnings in 2018 by electing Gafur Rakhimov as president. The businessman from Uzbekistan allegedly had ties to organized crime and heroin trafficking.
Umar Kremlev’s election to replace Rakhimov in 2020 followed another round of IOC election warnings that went unheeded.
The IBA’s debts approaching $20 million were cleared under Kremlev and the IOC objected to the boxing body’s financial reliance on Gazprom.
Kremlev announced last month at the men’s world championships that the IBA was no longer sponsored by Gazprom, and his rhetoric against Olympic officials got more confrontational.
Thursday’s meeting went ahead after a late appeal by the IBA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the IOC board’s recommendation failed this week.
The IOC can now start to work with a rival organization created this year called World Boxing. It has drawn support from officials in the United States, Switzerland and Britain, countries whose national federations resisted Kremlev’s leadership of the IBA.
IOC banishes boxing governing body from Olympics, but the sport will still be at the Paris Games
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IOC banishes boxing governing body from Olympics, but the sport will still be at the Paris Games
- The vote was 69-1, with 10 members abstaining
- “We highly value the sport of boxing. We have an extremely serious problem with IBA because of their governance,” Bach told IOC members during their online meeting
Saudi reignite qualification hopes by beating Bhutan in T20 World Cup qualifier
- With the win, Saudi Arabia left the bottom of the table, climb to fifth place
- Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spot from Asia Group A qualifier
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia registered their first victory in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B as they beat Bhutan in Doha, Qatar on Friday.
Saudi Arabia were dominant in all fronts as they overcame Bhutan’s challenge by huge margin of 85 runs. Bhutan could only muster 85-8 in reply to Saudi’s 170-7 in 20 overs.
Bhutan invited Saudi Arabia to have a bit first at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium and the openers used it to their advantage. Abdul Waheed and Faisal Khan brought up 50-run partnership in just 23 balls. Waheed, who hit 18 off 15 holed out to long on in second ball of sixth over.
Faisal, who hit Karma Dorji for 24 runs in the fourth over then went boundary-less for the next nine balls and ultimately fell to Sagar Pradhan. He hit 3 fours and 4 sixes in his 20-ball-42.
Skipper Waji Ul Hassan then steadied the ship for Saudi Arabia as he stitched mini partnerships with Usman Khalid (14) and Manan Ali (12). While Waji kept the scoreboard ticking his partners were slower than run-a-ball against Bhutan’s bowlers.
Player of the match Waji brought on his second T20 half century hitting Dorji for a six and a four in 16th over. He then followed one wide but hit straight to mid wicket. He ended scoring 52 runs off 39 balls with 3 fours and sixes each.
Zain Ul Abidin and Usman Najeeb hit a six each towards the end as Saudi reached 170 mark.
In reply, Ishtiaq Ahmad rocked the top order of Bhutan with double blow. After giving away single in first over he came back to take wickets of Tenjin Ragbey and skipper Thinley Jamtsho in consecutive deliveries, both for nought.
Bhutan were soon reduced to 10-3 as Usman. Najeeb hit Mikyo Dorji’s off stump.
Bhutan were 29-4 midway through their innings. But Jigme Singye’s 35 runs helped Bhutan to 85 runs in 20 overs. Singye, who 2 fours and sixes each in 41 balls was run out in the last over. Ishtiaq and Usman took 2 wickets each while Shahzaib, Zain Ul Abidin and Abdul Waheed got one each.
Despite losing first two matches in the tournament, Skipper Waji was hopeful of making it to the next round. ‘We didn’t achieve expected result in first two matches, but this win will help us. The tournament is long and we are hopeful of getting results to aid our target,’ he said.
Saudi Arabia have left the bottom of the table with this win as they climb to fifth. UAE, who beat Cambodia by 5 wickets have maximum 6 points in 3 matches. Hosts Qatar and Thailand have 4 points each. Bahrain are on level with Saudi while Bhutan and Cambodia are yet to open their account.
Top two teams from this qualifier will play the regional final, which serves as pathway for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup to be held in 2026.
Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spot from Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region. Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea will also compete in the regional finals.
PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest
- The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half
- The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain retained a six-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 after a labored 3-0 home win over Toulouse on Friday.
The defending champion dominated the first half but it took until the 35th minute to open the scoring.
Young Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves spun to meet a cross from the right and struck a superb half volley from just outside the box.
Lucas Beraldo got a second with six minutes remaining when he pounced on loose ball and fired home.
Vitinha made it 3-0 in stoppage time when he showed fine footwork inside the box to finish off a quick counterattack.
The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half.
Only Vitinha’s last-gasp tackle stopped Zakaria Aboukhlal from equalizing after 69 minutes and then Shavy Babicka blazed over from close range a minute later when he should have hit the target.
The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich.
PSG lie in 25th place in the 36-team Champions League table with one win in four matches and outside the playoff spots.
Monaco beat Brest
The win came immediately after second-placed Monaco beat Brest 3-2 to briefly close the gap at the top to three points.
Brest, who face Barcelona next week in the Champions League, turned in another inconsistent French league performance and not the sparkling form they have shown in Europe.
Brest have struggled in Ligue 1, where they remain 12th, but shone with three wins from four in their first-ever Champions League campaign.
It was behind after just five minutes on Friday when Maghnes Akliouche scored with a superb airborne volley, and 2-0 down after 24 minutes thanks to Aleksandr Golovin.
The Russian striker seized on a poor pass just outside the Brest penalty area and his low shot was perfectly placed to sneak in off the post and give him his first goal in nine league appearances.
On-loan Brighton striker Abdallah Sima used his 1.88-meter frame to outjump the Monaco defense four minutes into the second half and cut the deficit but Akliouche restored Monaco’s two-goal cushion when he brilliantly finished a quick counterattack in stoppage time.
Ludovic Ajorque got a second for Brest in the sixth minute of added time but it was not enough in a second half most notable for the red card shown to Brest coach Eric Roy.
Formula E to enhance its ‘FIA Girls on Track’ initiative at all races in Season 11
- The gender-diversity program, now in its 7th year, has provided career and education advice and support to more than 4,500 young women
- The new race season begins in December and the Jeddah E-Prix, which replaces the Diriyah E-Prix, will take place at the city’s Corniche Circuit on Feb. 14-15
LONDON: Formula E has unveiled plans to expand and enhance its grassroots gender-diversity initiative, FIA Girls on Track, to give 50 young women the chance to participate in new race-day activities at each event on the 2024/25 calendar, including the Jeddah E-Prix on February 14 and 15.
A further 120 women will take part in behind-the-scenes activities the day before each race, as organizers offer exclusive access to young women interested in a career in motorsport or the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The participants will even have a role to play on the victory podium at each race.
Formula E said it is reaffirming its commitment to education and gender inclusivity in motorsport by also extending the support it provides to grassroots initiatives, giving more young women than ever the chance to access and learn from the experiences within the all-electric competition. For example, it will provide e-karting opportunities and activities in schools and universities.
The expansion of the initiative is part of a broader, long-term strategy to advance gender equality by removing barriers, expanding opportunities and providing pathways for women to build careers in the sport, organizers said.
Most recently, in a world first within an FIA championship, Formula E organized an all-women’s test event that gave elite drivers, including Bianca Bustamante and Ella Lloyd of the NEOM McLaren race team, a unique opportunity to develop their skills in the latest version of the electric racing cars. The new GEN3 Evo is capable of 0-60 mph in 1.82 seconds, 30 percent faster than the current generation of F1 cars.
Driving for the Nissan Formula E team, Abi Pulling, who currently leads the junior-level F1 Academy championship, recorded the quickest time during the three-hour test session amid a field of 17 drivers representing the top tier of women’s driving. Bustamante managed the third-fastest time of the day in the NEOM McLaren car, with an impressive 1 minute 31.715 seconds.
Last season, Formula E expanded its Girls on Track experiences to include local girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 18, and delivered 27 events during 11 race weekends at the track and in communities.
Organizers said the initiative has supported more than 4,500 young women globally since its partnership with the FIA began. This season, they added, the program aims to reach more young women than ever, amid growing interest among them in careers in motorsport.
During each race weekend, 120 young women will take part in behind-the-scenes tours and workshops on the day before the big race. On race days, 50 young women will be granted exclusive access to the FIA Girls on Track space within the Fan Village, and have the option to attend inspirational career talks given by women working within Formula E, who will offer guidance and advice about varied career options in the sport across disciplines including engineering, technology, driving, team management, sustainability, and media and marketing.
“We’re committed to continuing to provide as much opportunity as possible to young women who want to come and work in the industry,” said Julia Palle, vice president of sustainability at Formula E.
“We’re all too aware of the imbalance between male and female roles, so with an ever-growing program of events and opportunities where women can learn and grow in confidence, the industry will begin to balance itself and benefit everyone involved.
“Our commitment to women, though, is not just at the grassroots but at the pinnacle of the sport too. In Madrid, hosting an all-women’s test session provided a crucial opportunity for them to test themselves using current technology that we hope will not only develop their own skill sets but be inspirational to many of the young women involved in our FIA Girls on Track program, too.”
After successful races in Diriyah over the past six seasons, Formula E announced this year that Jeddah will be the new race venue in the Kingdom, with the event taking place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the world’s fastest street track, in February.
Angel Yin rides a hot putter to 2-shot lead in LPGA fina
- Yin won $1 million last year in the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge, a bonus competition all year that measures how players fare on holes that have risk, such as a reachable par 5
- Very clear in her rearview mirror was Nelly Korda
NAPLES, Florida: Angel Yin rammed in a 30-foot par putt on her opening hole, setting the tone for a day of big putts and 3-under 69 that gave her a two-shot lead Friday in the CME Group Tour Championship and the chase for the $4 million prize.
Very clear in her rearview mirror was Nelly Korda.
Korda, coming off her seventh win of the season last week, opened with a 72 and was eight shots behind. She found a simple swing thought after the round and was back to her old self with a 66 that cut the deficit in half with 36 holes left to play.
“Golf is just crazy,” Korda said. “You go from playing so well last week to not being able to find the center of the clubface yesterday. Always humbles you, but what’s that you love so much about it. Went to the range after my round yesterday. Tried to find a different feel. Felt a little better out there today, and hopefully I can keep progressing.”
Yin followed that 30-foot par putt with a 40-foot birdie putt on the next hole. She also holed a birdie putt from about 35 feet on the 11th hole that put her in the lead for good.
She was at 10-under 134. Hye-Jin Choi (68) and Narin An (72) were 8 under.
Korda, who already has captured her first award as player of the year, was tied for fourth at 138 with four other players who are either major champions or have been No. 1 in the women’s world ranking — Jeeno Thitikul, Ayaka Furue, Ruoning Yin and Amy Yang, the defending champion at Tiburon Golf Club.
Furue also is in a tight battle for the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average, and she pulled within a fraction of a point of Haeran Ryu.
Yin’s round had enough bogeys to slow her momentum, along with a discussion with a rules official over where she took her drop after going in the water on the par-3 fourth hole.
“It looked like I took an improper drop where I went up closer than I should have, where I should have dropped further back,” Yin said, who was asked to review footage. “They thought I didn’t take the drop properly. I explained to them that I believe I did take the drop properly.”
She said it was discussed with everyone in her group. She said a marshal never volunteered any information. The drop stood, she took bogey and was moving on.
“I believe my drop was right,” Yin said.
Korda, meanwhile, grazed the cup with birdie chances and then made it up for it on the third hole when her 8-iron from the rough landed so perfectly that it rolled into the cup for an eagle. That sent her on her way.
The key to getting her game on track was more hinge in taking the club away and taking a shorter swing. It all came together. Korda also said she finally was able to get some rest after a busy week of awards.
Yin won $1 million last year in the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge, a bonus competition all year that measures how players fare on holes that have risk, such as a reachable par 5. That $1 million meant a lot to her, and she said it gave her some financial freedom.
What would $4 million mean?
“Even bigger financial freedom,” she said.
Kane hat-trick sends Bayern eight points clear
- Bayern, still yet to lose in the league in 2024-25, were dominant throughout but kept at bay by some dogged defending from their Bavarian neighbors
- With 61 minutes gone, the ball connected with Augsburg’s Mads Pedersen’s outstretched arm in the box, bringing the England captain to the spot after a VAR review
MUNICH: A second-half Harry Kane hat-trick took Bayern Munich to a 3-0 home win over Augsburg on Friday, sending them eight clear atop the table ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern, still yet to lose in the league in 2024-25, were dominant throughout but kept at bay by some dogged defending from their Bavarian neighbors.
With 61 minutes gone, the ball connected with Augsburg’s Mads Pedersen’s outstretched arm in the box, bringing the England captain to the spot after a VAR review.
Kane cooly converted to give Bayern the lead.
In stoppage time, Kane went down in the box after contact from Keven Schlotterbeck and Bayern were again awarded a penalty after a VAR review, which the 31-year-old converted.
Schlotterbeck was sent from the field after picking up a second yellow for his challenge.
Kane then added a third, this time controlling a cross and heading in, his seventh hat-trick since joining Bayern.
The England captain now has 14 goals in 11 league games for Bayern this season, five of which have come from the spot.
Leipzig can cut the gap back to five when they play at struggling Hoffenheim on Saturday, while defending champions Bayer Leverkusen host Heidenheim.
The German giants received a boost pre-match, with captain and veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer cleared to start after missing training with a rib issue.
Bayern were in control of possession and field position but could not break through.
Augsburg offered little in attack but defended stoutly, holding Bayern’s glittering attacking riches at bay.
Augsburg goalie Nediljko Labrovic held firm to snuff out first-half chances from Jamal Musiaia and Leon Goretzka.
The Bavarian giants, still smarting after going trophyless for the first time in 11 seasons last campaign, eventually broke through with half an hour remaining, breaking Augsburg’s resolve.
Riding high in the league, Bayern have struggled in the Champions League format, sitting 17th after four games — six behind leaders Liverpool.
Tuesday’s home match with PSG, who are even further down the Champions League table, could be crucial for the German side in their top-eight bid to avoid the extra playoff round.
