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MOSCOW (Reuters) -
Umar Kremlev, the new president of the International Boxing
Association (AIBA), plans to implement reforms over the next six
months that could help restore its status with the International
Olympic Committee (IOC), he told Reuters in an interview.
Elected to head amateur boxing's governing body earlier this
month, Kremlev has the task of implementing sweeping reforms in
order for it to be recognised by the IOC in time for the Paris
Olympics in 2024.
The IOC suspended AIBA last year, stripping it of any
involvement in Olympic qualifiers and the tournament at the
Tokyo Games over a string of governance, finance and ethical
issues.
"I have planned that it would take around six or seven months to
implement the reforms," said Kremlev, who also serves as
secretary general of the Russian Boxing Federation.
"It's an ambitious plan. This will not be easy to do."
Kremlev, named chairman of the AIBA Marketing Commission last
year, has pledged to attract $50 million over the next two years
to rebuild AIBA.
He said he was holding talks with international companies -- the
names of which he would not disclose -- to secure potential
advertisement and sponsorship deals.
"I think we will soon announce our sponsors and make the signing
of any deals public," he said.
The IOC has said the status of AIBA would be reviewed after the
2020 Tokyo Games, which were postponed to next year because of
the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Kremlev said he also hoped to bring transparency to the
organisation before the 2024 Olympics.
"The AIBA we see now has debts and practically no interaction
with the federations," he said.
"By the 2024 Olympic Games, you will see an independent AIBA
able to attract funds ... and help national federations hold
tournaments. By 2024 we need to make AIBA the cleanest
organisation, make it transparent for it to shine."
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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