National Olympic Committee Suspends Membership of Boxing Federation

The membership of the Boxing Federation of Armenia with the National Olympic Committee of Armenia has been suspended.

This was announced by Hrachya Rostomyanc, the Secretary General of the NOC, on his Facebook page. Addressing the issues that arose between the federation and the NOC, he specifically stated:

“The Boxing Federation of Armenia, elected through illegitimate means on August 2, 2018, attempted to organize the youth boxing championship of Armenia. Following an investigation by AIBA (International Boxing Association), it was found that the elections for the president of the federation were conducted with violations. Subsequently, a demand was made to adhere to AIBA's regulations and conduct new elections; otherwise, the Boxing Federation of Armenia would be expelled from AIBA. In fact, today the federation continues to carry out actions beyond its authority. Neither the president of the federation nor the staff is legitimate, and thus their actions fall outside the realm of legality.”

He also informed that at the AIBA Executive Committee meeting held on February 8-9, it was decided to appoint a commissioner who would only commence the process of conducting new elections for the Boxing Federation of Armenia after a thorough examination of the situation.

“However, since the Boxing Federation of Armenia is aimed at initiating unlawful actions, the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, in order to maintain the image of domestic sports on international platforms, is suspending this federation's membership effective immediately,” he said.

Rostomyanc also recalled that elections for the president and Executive Committee of the European Boxing Confederation were scheduled for February 22-23. “I would recommend seeking clarification from Arthur Gevorgyan, who enjoys 'absolute' authority in international boxing organizations, on why he carefully conceals the fact that he is running for the Executive Committee and not being elected,” he added.