AIBA asks Donald Trump to ‘look into’ sport’s exclusion from LA Olympics 2028

The International Boxing Association (IBA) has written an open letter to United States president Donald Trump urging him to “look into” the sport’s omission from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“They (the IOC) have announced in the last 12 months that boxing will not be part of the Olympic program for LA28; it would be very much appreciated if your team could look in to this situation,” an open letter from the IBA to the newly-elected president Donald Trump read. “We sincerely hope that boxing will be part of the celebrations in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, and will indeed become a great showcase of genuine love to the sport from the American nation and fans worldwide.”
Trump’s second stint as US President will witness Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics.
The IBA also took potshots at the IOC and the previous hosts of the Olympics, Paris, for giving athletes medals that are currently having to be replaced.
“It is disappointing to see political agendas influencing sports, discrimination against athletes based on their nationality, and mishandling of funds in the Olympic movement. It is shameful that the only reward athletes receive for their countless hours of training and numerous sacrifices are medals made of low quality metals. This is evident the fact that many athletes have returned their medals to the IOC after the Paris 2024 Games.”
The International Boxing Association is lead a Russian, Umar Kremlev.
As things stand, boxing is not part of the LA 2028’s plans. However, a final decision on its inclusion has not yet been made.
In the letter, IBA wrote that it appreciated Trump’s stance on the “participation of ineligible athletes” in boxing.
The participation of two boxers in Paris Olympics — Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting — became a massive flashpoint at the 2024 Paris Olympics. IBA had banned both boxers from the sport, but the IOC allowed them to compete. Both boxers won gold medals, leading to massive controversy.

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