“We were waiting for what they would come up with. But again they decided on us without us. To write to us who decided on it, how who voted, or how we can appeal, nothing,” Šimák told ČTK, contradicting the IBA’s statement that the Czech side received the right to comment on the case and show an effort to “repair the damage”.
“On Sunday (last week), we received a letter from the general secretary of Yerolimpose, to which we responded with our lawyers. We were given four days to respond. We did not receive an answer to most of the things we asked,” Šimák described, adding that CBA representatives were aware that the start of the Americans in the north of Bohemia would be a problem.
“It’s an authoritarian system that can have no place in the 21st century. What the IBA has been demonstrating in recent years, for example the start of the Russians and Belarusians under the flags, started everything. It’s terribly over the line,” the head of Czech boxing emphasized.
The IBA allows the boxers of Russia and Belarus, despite the invasion of Ukraine, to compete in their events under the national flags. Some countries, including the USA and the Czech Republic, therefore boycotted this year’s world championships, and the Americans withdrew from the IBA at the end of April and initiated the establishment of a new World Boxing organization. The unions of New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden also joined it, which were also suspended on Monday.
The international federation called on the Czech side to apologize for not respecting the IBA regulations, to start respecting the rules of the association and to guarantee that they will not violate them in the next six months. Apparently, however, Czech boxers can continue to compete in international tournaments organized under the banner of the IBA.
“We can start outside. But we shouldn’t host international events here for six months,” said Šimák. The only major event that should take place in the Czech Republic now is the Junior Memorial of Julia Tormy.
The main competition for which the Czech representatives are preparing is the summer European Games in Poland, which is part of the qualification for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. And those are not organized by the IBA. “Our highlight of the year is the European Games, which is not in jeopardy. It’s a tournament that the IBA doesn’t manage, even though they try to tell everyone they do. At first they wanted to ban all the officials and referees from being there, when the International Olympic Committee officials called, so they said they would allow it,” Šimák pointed to the long-standing dispute between the IBA and the IOC, which manages the Olympic qualification for boxers alone.
CBA is currently considering whether to join a new international organization with other states. “It’s an open matter. The organization is established, there should be a constituent assembly in the fall. We also have to wait a bit, we can’t say: We’re going there and then it will happen that there will be three or four states,” said Šimák, adding that for him key to boxing continuing to be an Olympic sport.
