Boxing: AIBA crisis continues as Swiss Court ruling is deferred!
By Dr. Thilo Pachmann & Alexander Theiler[1]
The AIBA crisis continues! See previous GSLTR website posts on 8 and 16 August 2017 on this saga!
In fact, the Swiss Court deferred a ruling on who is in charge of the organisation for the interim period until an extraordinary congress takes place in Dubai in November. The hearing was held on 17 August 2017 by the Court of Lausanne, Switzerland, in the context of the provisional measures requested by both the so-called Interim Management Committee (IMC) and President Ching-Kuo Wu.
The Court, in the event, requested the parties to produce their further arguments and translations of documents by the end of August. A final decision is expected only by mid-September, which means not until after the World Championships are held in Hamburg, Germany, between 25 August and 3 September 2017.
Before the Court in Lausanne, President Wu and the AIBA Executive Director, William Louis-Marie, were heard; whereas, the IMC was represented by AIBA Executive Committee members Pat Fiacco and Terry Smith, in the absence of the AIBA Vice-President, Franco Falcinelli, head of the IMC. The IMC is still arguing that it is legally and statutorily entitled to run the AIBA during this interim period, whilst it has withdrawn the request to suspend the AIBA Executive Director William Louis-Marie.
According to a post on the AIBA official website, the organisation is pleased about the Court proceedings. But, the crisis is far from over!
In the meantime, it has been revealed that already 76 of the AIBA's Member Federations are supporting the IMC in the forthcoming extraordinary congress in November, when President Wu's fate will be decided. Wu will need the support of the majority of the 200 Federations, but, given the fact that only 126 Federations participated in the last congress, the IMC can be very optimistic of achieving the required voting majority in Dubai in November.
Apart from this bitter civil legal battle for the leadership of the AIBA, criminal proceedings are still pending against Vice-President Falcinelli, who is alleged to have given a "death warning" to a AIBA staff member. He denies any wrongdoing.
This further deferral of the Court decision will thus prolong the stalemate situation in the power struggle within the AIBA, even during the forthcoming World Championships, which, as mentioned, start on 25 August 2017.
It will be interesting to see whether the AIBA, in the midst of this current legal limbo, is able to conduct a thrilling competition.
[1] Dr. Thilo Pachmann and Alexander Theiler of Pachmann Attorneys at Law, Switzerland. They can be reached by e-mail at ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ’ and ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ’.
