 The International Boxing Association is pleased to announce that USA will host the 2007 World Boxing Championships.
AIBA’s most prestigious event has become the focus of the global boxing community due to the fact that it will also be the first Olympic qualifying event for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
There has also been a level of uncertainty surrounding the venue of the 2007 World Championships following AIBA’s withdrawal of the Russian Boxing Federation (RBF) as the hosts on March 12. The Korean Boxing Association, who had first right of refusal as per the agreement signed between AIBA and the RBF at the Executive Committee meeting in February, sent its refusal letter to AIBA earlier in April. AIBA then proceeded, based on the recommendations from the AIBA World Championships Organizing Commission, to give the RBF a second chance to host the event. However, the RBF did not wish to drop its application to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) and filed another application to CAS against AIBA which prevented any further dialogue between both parties.
The International Boxing Association therefore acted on the AIBA World Championships Organizing Commission’s further recommendation to accept the terms and conditions, which were proposed by USA Boxing in March.
Following the decision by AIBA, USA Boxing will go through a selection process with the United States Olympic Committee to finalize the host city and exact date due to the great interest from several US cities to host the Championships.
“It is pleasing to see that the star event on the 2007 Boxing calendar will be held in one of boxing’s heartlands and where boxing holds such a special place in the heart of many of its citizens,” AIBA President Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu said. “We can look forward to a superb event and AIBA, with the help of USA Boxing, is determined to make this year’s edition one of the most successful World Championships ever.”
The 2007 World Championships, which is now likely to be held in October instead of the original date of September 15-30, is expected to be the biggest in AIBA history with more than 600 boxers and 400 officials from over 100 countries in what will also be a celebration of the launch the Olympic qualifying process for Beijing.
About the International Boxing Association
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is a non-profit making international organization, which was founded under the name Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur (FIBA) in 1920. In 1946 a new start was given with the launch of AIBA to replace the dissolved FIBA and now, more than 60 years later, AIBA, with its 195 member federations, continues to govern the sport of Boxing, working for the benefit of the sport and all its participants, to help Boxing realise its potential within the Olympic Movement and the international sporting arena. For more information please visit www.aiba.org
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For more information please contact the AIBA Communications Department. Telephone +41 21 321 27 77 or Richard Baker, AIBA PR and Communications Manager, mobile +41 79 316 56 09 |