Russian Boxing Federation President Umar Kremlev says that the amateur sport's governing body, the AIBA, which was suspended from arranging qualification for the Olympics, will be in a position to have its ban lifted when the Olympics are held in 2021.
SHOWS: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - NOVEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.
MEN TRAINING IN MOSCOW BOXING CENTRE UNKNOWN LOCATION (MARCH 25, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA'S BOXING FEDERATION, UMAR KREMLEV, SAYING: "Firstly, it was clear (that the Tokyo Olympics should be postponed).
First of all, we should take care of our athletes and trainers.
If our athletes are sick, it's a big risk.
If we don't have any athletes, there won't be any Olympics.
For sports officials, our main goal is to work in the interests of the athletes and trainers that make up the sport." MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - NOVEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3.
PORTRAIT OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IN BOXING GLOVES UNKNOWN LOCATION (MARCH 25, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA'S BOXING FEDERATION, UMAR KREMLEV, SAYING: "What happened is of course a very bad situation for athletes.
They had prepared.
Boxing athletes had prepared, went to the competition and then the tournament was stopped.
It was ridiculous to even begin this tournament." MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - NOVEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 5.
MEN TRAINING UNKNOWN LOCATION (MARCH 25, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA'S BOXING FEDERATION, UMAR KREMLEV, SAYING: "AIBA is not what it was.
It is already different.
It has reformed.
There are strong reforms taking place.
Of course, before the qualifying tournaments, cooperation with AIBA should be restored." MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - NOVEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7.
MEN TRAINING MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MARCH 25, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA'S BOXING FEDERATION, UMAR KREMLEV, SAYING: "I'm sure that by the end of the year or early next year, AIBA and the IOC will find a mutual understanding and will start working together." TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 25, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9.
VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN SHIBUYA, CENTRAL TOKYO STORY: Amateur boxing's international governing body (AIBA) should be able to complete its reforms and have its suspension lifted before the Tokyo Games are held in 2021, a Russian boxing official, who also holds a position at AIBA, said on Wednesday (March 25).
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year suspended AIBA, the International Boxing Association, over issues surrounding its finances and governance and took over the boxing competition and qualification for the 2020 Olympics.
With the Games being postponed to 2021 because of coronavirus outbreaks worldwide, AIBA could be in a position to retrieve its status before the Olympics, said Umar Kremlev, president of Russia's Boxing Federation and chairman of AIBA's market commission.
"I'm sure that by the end of the year or early next year, AIBA and the IOC will find a mutual understanding and will start working together," he told Reuters.
"AIBA is not what it was.
It is already different.
It has reformed.
There are strong reforms taking place." Kremlev said that European Olympic qualifying, organised by the IOC's Boxing Task Force (BTF) earlier this month in London, should not have taken place at all because of the pandemic.
The tournament was halted in its early stages because of the virus.
"What happened is of course a very bad situation for athletes," he said.
"They had prepared, went to the competition and then the tournament was stopped.
It was ridiculous to even begin this tournament." (Production: Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber, Peter Scott)