(ATR) Tom Virgets will become the International Boxing Association’s first executive director in five months and the first from the United States..
The board member of USA Boxing was appointed to the role of AIBA executive director on Jan. 27 following the federation’s Extraordinary Congress in Dubai. At the congress, Gafur Rakhimov was selected to lead the federation as the new interim president due to his predecessor Franco Falcinelli’s resignation.
Virgets has a long history in sports administration, previously serving as the Athletic Director at the University of West Georgia and Senior Assistant Athletic Director of the U.S. Naval Academy. He succeeds former executive director William Louis-Marie who was suspended from this role in August 2017.
The American sports administrator also has a long history with the sport of boxing, growing up in a family that prized the sport and and at one time training professional boxer Tommy Morrison.
AIBA Executive Committee member of Canada Pat Fiacco was also named the new Technical Director of the federation after today's congress.
After the congress in Dubai, Virgets believes AIBA is on the right track to resolving the issues that nearly led to AIBA’s insolvency in the summer of 2017.
"We have the right people in the right positions to get AIBA back moving in the right direction," Virgets tells Around the Rings.
Virgets says that new interim president Rakhimov is one of those who can aid the federation’s transition before electing a new president at the ordinary congress in Moscow Nov. 2-3.
"[Rakhimov] has been a productive member [of the Executive Committee] at the times when AIBA has needed it the most," he says.
Virgets is expected to move to the AIBA headquarters at the Maison du Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland to contribute in his new role. He tells ATR that he has no set timeline for his term and that he is excited and prepared for the new challenge.
Reported and written by Kevin Nutley in Dubai, UAE.
Travel and accommodations provided by AIBA.
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