The president of the Cuban Boxing Federation, Alberto Puig de la Barca, was optimistic about the permanence of that sport in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Havana, December 15 (RHC)--The president of the Cuban Boxing Federation, Alberto Puig de la Barca, was optimistic about the permanence of that sport in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Days after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it will decide on the matter in 2023, the executive assured that the discipline's authorities are working to meet the pending demands.

He explained that last Sunday an extraordinary congress of the International Boxing Association (now with the acronym AIB) approved important changes in its statutes, adjusted to the demands of the governing body of Olympism.

Asked about specific points in the area of governance, Puig said that the AIB convened an elective congress that will provide it with a renewed leadership by the end of June next year.

He said that at that meeting "some observations made by the IOC will be taken into consideration," and said that even if the AIB were to remain sanctioned, boxing could still be included in the program of the five-ring event.

The formula was already applied for the Tokyo edition, when the IOC handed over to a group the management of the qualifying competitions and the tournament itself, but in light of the current scenario, no one doubts that the most expeditious way to Los Angeles 2028 is through concrete answers.

Described by its organizers as the beginning of a new era for the sport, the Sunday congress adopted a comprehensive set of governance reforms, developed by independent experts.

Animated by representatives of 107 national federations linked by videoconference, it left results that, according to President Umar Kremlev, demonstrate that the IBA "is adapting quickly and comprehensively to the future.

He recalled that barely a year after his appointment, the teamwork has resulted in significant reforms, as evidenced by the contribution of leading independent experts in sports integrity and governance.

Amendments included the creation of a new Boxing Independent Integrity Unit, which is expected to become operational during the course of 2022.

The Board of Directors will be reduced from 28 members to 18, following elections to be held by June 30, and candidates for election will be subject to comprehensive eligibility checks that will be conducted independently.

Very significant changes are expected in the composition of the Board, based on the imposition of term limits and enhanced eligibility criteria.

In order to enhance AIB's commercial viability, a new visual identity was unveiled, with the new acronym at its heart, and a new logo has been unveiled.

"It's a sign of how far AIB has come that we were already poised to make compelling progress toward this at full speed," Kremlev asserted of the reforms implemented.

"We are doing much more than major improvements in individual parts of AIB. We are changing our entire culture in a lasting way. The new AIB is ready to serve the boxers of today and tomorrow, together with all those who support them," he emphasized.

AIB changed its full name to the International Boxing Association in 2007, but retained its previous acronym (Aiba), which stood for Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur.