(ATR) The International Boxing Association has a new interim leader pending a decision by Swiss courts.
AIBA vice president Franco Falcinelli is now the Acting Interim President of the Olympic boxing federation following the suspension of AIBA president CK Wu on Oct. 10. Fifteen of the 17 AIBA Executive Committee members approved Falcinelli as the interim president in a mail-in vote on Oct. 12.
Around the Rings is told that EC members Eyüp Gözgeç of Turkey and Serik Konakbayev of Kazakhstan are the only two to oppose Falcinelli’s appointment.
The letter sent to the EC members confirming the mail-in vote was signed by AIBA executive director William Louis-Marie. This is the first AIBA communication sent by Louis-Marie on behalf of the executives seeking to oust Wu. Louis-Marie has previously issued statements on Wu’s behalf during this months-long power struggle for control of the federation.
Wu is currently challenging his suspension at the hands of AIBA’s Disciplinary Commission led by Tom Virgets of the United States. He has appealed to the same Swiss court which previously determined the AIBA executives’ attempts at forming an Interim Management Committee and holding an Extraordinary Congress where a motion of no confidence could be held were invalid.
Wu told ATR he did not have the opportunity to defend himself before the suspension.
"I was not given any opportunity to respond to the Disciplinary Commission which was called suddenly without any notice," Wu said. "Now it will go to the Swiss court again. I am sure that they will rule very quickly."
The letter sent to AIBA executives and seen by ATR states that the Disciplinary Commission proceedings are still underway and that a final decision is pending.
If the Disciplinary Commission confirms Wu’s suspension and it is backed by the courts, Falcinelli and fellow executives would proceed with setting a date for an Extraordinary Congress where AIBA’s National Federations could vote to retain Wu as president or remove him from office.
ATR is told the Extraordinary Congress could take place as soon as January.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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