FIDE going down together with IBA?

Just a quick summary of what has happened to the other Russian-controlled International Boxing Federation (IBA), already sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with national sport authorities and financial institutions to follow:

1. The IOC has fully withdrawn its recognition of IBA. The IBA no longer exists as a recognised sport federation and was removed permanently from the IOC list (where FIDE still exists but for how long?). The decision to cancel the Kremlin-controlled IBA as a sport federation was passed in the IOC meeting with an overwhelming 69–1 vote and only 10 members abstaining.

2. The IOC took over the sport in the Paris Olympics and organised the boxing events without the IBA.

3. A separate international boxing federation has been created, with the name “World Boxing” in direct competition to IBA. It has already attracted 37 national federations (*update: the number has increased to 42!) and the IOC has implied that it will recognize “World Boxing” when it reaches 50 members by Q1 2025.

If I was a FIDE delegate, I would have to think twice: With the outrageous Kyrgyz/Russian proposal to violate IOC recommendations, are we voting for the Kremlin’s interests or for the interests of chess and our national federations? Are we ready to jeopardize everything for a bunch of pro-Kremlin individuals?

Many governments fund chess as a sport due to its recognition by the IOC. It will be an open vote according to the FIDE statutes. And EVERY single vote carries HUGE responsibility for the future of our sport. I really hope that common logic will prevail in the end.

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