Cash-for-gold scandal rocks world boxing,AIBA opens up investigation

AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu said the claims were totally untrue and ludicrous but added he would investigate them a move welcomed by the International Olympic Committee. I will immediately conduct an investigation into this because there is a zero tolerance policy in AIBA, he said. AIBA later announced setting up of a five-man special committee to investigate the allegations.

After the programme was broadcast,the AIBA issued a statement saying a loan to WSB had been made by an Azerbaijani investor … made on a commercial basis and with a view to a commercial return for the investor. Any suggestion that the loan was made in return for promises of gold medals at the 2012 Olympics is preposterous and utterly untrue.

AIBA said it believed the allegations were made by individuals with an axe to grind and added that the claims demonstrate a complete misunderstanding of the procedures which lead to the award of Olympic medals and the impossibility of influencing these.

The IOC backed the investigation,saying that it took any such accusations seriously. We welcome AIBAs announcement of an immediate inquiry into these claims and we await the outcome of their investigation, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. For its part,the IOC takes all allegations of corruption very seriously. And we would urge the BBC to make any evidence they have available to AIBA and to our Ethics Commission which will then determine if further action is necessary.

This is not the first time boxing at the Olympics has come under a cloud. The IOC had earlier withheld more than $1 million of funds after the 2004 Athens Olympics was marred by controversies. There were concerns over the scoring process in the competition and the selection of judges and the IOC released the funds more than two years later,only after the departure of long-time AIBA boss Anwar Chowdry,who had himself been accused of corruption,and a commitment by AIBA to overhaul judging systems and selection of judges.

The BBC cited unnamed whistleblowers and insiders as having told its reporters they had been informed about a deal by WSBs chief operating officer Ivan Khodabakhsh,who denied the allegations as an absolute lie. Azerbaijans only boxing medal at the last Olympics in Beijing was a bronze.

Vijender targets top rank in Baku

Chandigarh: Back in 2009,Vijender Singh became the first Indian boxer to win a medal at the World Championships and climbed atop the world rankings few weeks later. Earlier this month,the latest rankings put Singh at eighth in the middle-weight category with Uzbek Abbos Atoev on top. And the Bhiwani boxer,who beat Atoev en route to an Asian Games gold,is keen to reclaim not only the top spot from the Uzbek but also win his first World Championships gold.

It was nice at the top of the rankings. I lost at home in the CWG semis but then won the Asian Games final against Atoev despite hurting my wrist. I am now eager to claim the top spot back and I am confident, Vijender told The Indian Express after reaching Baku for the World Championships starting September 26. Singh,along with Dinesh Sangwan,had to miss the teams training stint in France after participating in the World Police Games and reached Baku ahead of the rest of the Indian contingent,but he is not worried about lack of preparations.

We wanted to take part in the Police Games as we wanted to train in USA with boxers from Cuba and South American nations. But we are confident, Vijender said. Nitin Sharma