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A damning investigation into boxing at the Rio 2016 Olympics revealed ample evidence of “corruption, bribery and manipulation of sports results” – with judges giving each other ringside signals to arrange fights.
The report by Professor Richard McLaren, who spoke out against state-sponsored doping in Russia, said the seeds of corruption had been sown in previous years, with episodes before and during London 2012 also suspected.
McLaren discovered that there was a culture of “favors”, especially among post-Soviet countries – Azerbaijan granting amateur boxing governing body Aiba a $ 10 million investment loan in hope the fights would be manipulated in their favor for medals in London 2012. Four years later, a $ 250,000 bribe was also offered by Mongolian officials in an attempt to mend an Olympic semi-final .
The defeats at the Rio Games of Briton Joe Joyce in the super heavyweight final against Frenchman Tony Yoka and Irishman Michael Conlan in the bantamweight quarterfinal against Russian Vladimir Nikitin are also under investigation. McLaren confirmed.
The independent investigation details how “compliant and complicit” referees and judges, acting under a “culture of fear, intimidation and obedience” created by Aiba, corrupted boxing.
McLaren said a hand-picked team of ‘five-star’ senior referees and judges used signals at ringside or told colleagues on the morning of the 2016 Games who is expected to win a particular match. . Meanwhile, incorruptible officials have been kicked out of the sport, with an elimination process during the qualifying competition for Rio.
“The signaling process started out as something basic, using either hand or eye signals agreed to between them, or leaning back or forward with their body, to let others know how they should judge a person. fight, “writes McLaren in his report.
McLaren said the corruption had gone all the way to the top with two top Aiba officials – Wu Ching-kuo and Karim Bouzidi, chairman and executive director respectively of Aiba – being “key players” to “enable the manipulation of prosper”.
Wu, who McLaren said “bears ultimate responsibility for the failures of Rio refereeing and qualifying events,” was banned for life from the sport in 2018.
However, Bouzidi was the chief architect of a plan, with McLaren claiming he “seized powers to oversee the appointment of referees and judges (R&J) who knew what was going on but would comply with the manipulation. , or who were incompetent, but wanted to continue as R&J, so they were willing to comply or ignore what was going on ”.
In its report, McLaren also reveals that a bribe of up to $ 250,000 was allegedly attempted to settle the result of the lightweight semi-final between Mongolian Otgondalai Dorjnyambuu and Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha. No bribes were paid and the Mongolian boxer lost with a “very unusual score” which was identical on the scorecards of all five judges.
McLaren also notes that the basis for the corruption that took place in Rio dates back to the qualifying events for London 2012. “In 2010, Azerbaijan granted Aiba a $ 10 million investment loan,” he writes. . “This was followed by an additional loan of $ 10 million from Kazakhstan. What followed was that the R&J felt the pressure to call fights for Azeri or Kazakh boxers.
“The manipulation stemming from the Azeri loan spread to the London Games. Just before the Games, the BBC broadcast a story of medals for money. The allegation was that the Azeris were promised Olympic medals as a condition of the $ 10 million loan mentioned above. President CK Wu, still concerned about public perceptions, issued a decree to ensure that Azerbaijan does not win any medals.
“The fear for CK Wu was that if the Azeris had won it would have proven the documentary’s corruption allegations to be correct. Therefore, a reverse manipulation had to take place to ensure that they did not win any medals for public perception. The Azeris felt betrayed at the end of London 2012. ”
Speaking after the report was released, Conlan said he was “delighted” with the news. “It’s been five years and has been a long time coming. I didn’t expect this to happen.
“Rio’s black mark will always be there and I think if I hadn’t said what I said and did what I did, it probably wouldn’t happen now,” he said. at BBC Northern Ireland. “I think it’s a huge day for amateur boxing and especially for the guys who suffered in Rio, including myself. It is a justification.
In a statement, Aiba’s new chairman Umar Kremlev, who commissioned the report, said he would take it into account. “Aiba hired Professor McLaren because we have nothing to hide,” President Kremlev said. “We will work to incorporate any useful recommendations that are made. We will also seek legal advice regarding possible actions against those found guilty of participating in any manipulation. There should be no place in the Aiba family for anyone who has arranged a fight. “
Further reports on the investigation will be provided by McLaren in November and then March 2022.
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