International Boxing Association restructures its Board of Directors in reform effort

The International Boxing Association (IBA) will form a new Intercontinental Board of Directors they announced in a statement. Candidates will be drawn from an independent “Interim Nomination Unit’ for the upcoming elections during the IBA Women’s World Championships in Istanbul May 13 and 14.

“Over the past year, IBA has undergone a very impressive transformation in our ability to serve boxers. We have made huge progress in governance reform, financial integrity and sporting integrity,” said IBA President Umar Kremlin

Before becoming eligible for the upcoming elections, candidates will be subject to a set of rigorous eligibility requirements to ensure the new governing body will have the right skills to lead the IBA into a new era.

“The way these elections will take place reflects that transformation. The IBA election process has been developed to the highest standards, with the support of the best minds in governance, and we are grateful for that support.”

The new body will be decentralized in structure and paired down in number. The current board of members of 28 will be reduced by ten to 18. Structured as:

– President – elected by the IBA Congress

– Five Directors representing the Continental Confederations – elected by the Confederations

– Ten independent Directors – elected by the IBA Congress

– Two athletes – elected by their peers

Of the ten independent Directors, at least five must be women and there must be at least one from each continent.

All candidates will adhere to a strict set of criteria, including background checks by Genius Sports, an independent provider.

Skills being sought include finance, marketing, medical and exceptional sporting ability. After its analysis, the Independent Unit is expected to recommend a group of 20-30 candidates for the Electoral Congress to be held during the IBA Women’s World Championships in Istanbul.