Boxing officials from Rio 2016 to be banned from Tokyo 2020 Olympics

An international Olympic Committee task force has said the 36 referees and judges used at the Rio 2016 boxing competition will not be allowed to officiate at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The task force said its decision followed discussions with athletes to increase clarity, transparency and integrity in the selection process and officiating at the Olympics.

“The main objective of the IOC boxing task force is to ensure the completion of the mission of delivering events, while putting the boxers first, and with transparent and credible sporting results and fair play,” said boxing task force chair Morinari Watanabe.

Read Also: NWFL boss, Falode lauds Edo govt’s equal pay for men and women teams

Several judges and referees were sent home from Rio after a number of questionable decisions during the boxing tournament.

An investigation by the AIBA in 2017 found no interference in results and recommended that the Rio judges be reintegrated on a “case-by-case basis”, but the IOC’s new selection criteria have now ruled them ineligible for the Tokyo Games.

At Tokyo, referees and judges will be picked from a pool of International Boxing Association (AIBA) certified officials, who have been reviewed to ensure they meet the criteria.

Scores from all judges at the end of each round will also now be displayed publicly during qualifying competitions and the Games.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now