HUGE scandal with judges at Olympics

[ogii3]

Here is the short translation of my article for what happends today. Later AIBA bosses will hold a press conference
also, 15 minutes after the end of semifinals:)

Enjoy

AIBA vice-president sensational said: 60-70% of the judges for the bouts were replaced


by Ognian Georgiev

The scandals in the Olympic boxing tournament in Beijing went to their highest point. Vice-president of International boxing association (AIBA) – Rudel Obreja (Romania) sensationally told that 60-70% of the selected by a computer system judges were replaced. The changes were made by AIBA technical director Ho Kim (Korea), known as the right hand of AIBA president Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu (China Taipe). Obreja is the president of Romanian boxing federation. He also was appointed as a technical delegate in Olympic boxing tournament and was responsible along with Terry Smith from Wales for everything during the event.
“He changed the judges and referees without any explanation – told Romanian (on the picture with red jacket). – I was the strongest helper of Wu during the election congress in Santo Domingo 2006. Now I must talk. Kim was the person, who was responsible for the bribes to delegates for Wu election during congress in 2006. I was there with them all the time and I know what is all about.”
Obreja adds that Kim came to him during Olympic event and asked him if he wants that some of the judges for Romanian fighter bout to be changed and who must be the judges to officiate Romanian fighter match.
“There is another interesting moment. 20 minutes before the bout of Korean boxer he called in his room one of the judges that was selected for the mentioned match – says Obreja. – It wasn’t fair. I was elected as technical delegate of the tournament with Terry Smith. Our work is to officiate everything during entire event. According to the new system – the computer choose the five judges and the referee for each bout. But after the computer draw Kim took the papers with the names of the judges and changed the names. He put others by his own. On some of the bouts he replaced four judges. The selection of all officials for Olympic tournament was made by Wu and not as they told that there was an evaluation system, based on what they show during world championships in Chicago and qualification tournaments for Beijing.”
The Romanian added another not so good smells from the AIBA’s kitchen. He told how was passed the process for election of the host of the world championships in 2007, which was the major qualifying tournament for Beijing Olympics. During that time the two candidates were Korea and Russia.
“Kim came at me and he told me to vote for Korea – explained Obreja. – That’s what I do, but even my vote the Russians won. After AIBA took the host of the championships from Russia, without some serious reasons and they gave it to Chicago. It was the same way that they selected the place for the AIBA boxing academy. Russia has five times better offer then Canada. But Kim once again told me to vote for Canada. Because of my words I expect that I will be excluded from AIBA. Probably they will took away my accreditation. Here in Beijing everyone knows what it’s all about, but they are afraid to speak.”
Obreja came to the media workshop in the boxing hall in Beijing. He invited all the representatives from the media around the word at the special press conference room. After 20 minutes at the hall came so much mentioned Ho Kim. He request that the lights and the power of microphone to be turned off and tried to stop Obreja.
“There is not any true in Obreja’s words – said Kim. – Later we will make an special press conference to explain what sort of manipulator is Obreja. He was the person who offers 1000 dollars to a judge.”
During the first part of the boxing semifinals today in the hall was International Olympic committee’s president Jaques Rogue. He saw two of the most controversial bouts in the event. In the first match Rionel Iglesias (Cuba) lost from Athens’04 champ Manus Boonjumnong by 5:10. The judges didn’t score a lot of clear shots of Cuban. His opponent avoid to fight in the third and fourth round, but didn’t get official warning. He even hold a lot in the clinches, but once again there wasn’t any official warning. Despite that The ref took away two points from Iglesias, who was very angry by nonstop holding and hits with strong head butt his oppontnt.
The second match was even more booed by the audience in the hall. Alexis Vastine (FRA) was leading strongly in the forth round against Felix Dias (Dominica) with 9:6. The judges scored not so clear points by Dominican boxer and the score was equal. After that the ref gave second official warning to French fighter since the start of the bout for noting and it added another two points to Dias account. During the fight the French national team coach Dominique Nato was put out of the corner.
“It was a robbery”, says Nato after the fight. His fighter started to cry after the lost.

[locoxelbox]

:( I shouldn´t be that surprised. Terribly bad for amateur boxing. The Boonjumnong bout was a farce. Don´t understand how judges can credit his negative boxing so well.
If it´s true the korean selected the judges by his own, against AIBA:s official statement, then it´s serious. Specially since they´ve been given some close calls (Jung Joo Kim vs Demetrius Andrade).

[boxmel]

And Wu ran his campaign on the promise of being honest and truthful and cleaning up Chowdhry's corruption. Seems to me like not much has changed. 8) One thing about boxing - it is never boring.

Thanks for digging, Ogii - I had heard that the official's draws were being changed.

[JMac]

New AIBA, same old BS. Today could be the end of amateur boxing in the Olympics.
More to come.

[ricky_old]

I've been just a reader of this forums lately, but after watching those two 64kg. fights this morning, (Iglesias-Boonjumnong and Vastine-Diaz) and the new scandal, I had to say that it was discusting how the judges awarded all Boojumnong body punches (even blocked punches) and almost ignored Iglesias clean blows. And in the Vastine-Diaz fight it was the referee who was discusting. He was on top of the french fighter through out the 4 rounds letting Diaz brawl like in a pro fight and only calling his attention on the last round just before he gave a warning to the french with only 19 seconds to go in an even 10-10 score. Maybe they wanted Diaz and no Vastine in the finals against Boonjumnong.

[Dennis]

Corruption in boxing? Never!

[squarering]

The disgust with the scoring is hitting close to home now with everyone, but how many times has it happened right here. Then when try to call someone on it, you get that old standard excuse/explanation that rings in your ear........It depends on where you sit. The fight can look very different from different angles. I didn't buy it then , I don't buy it now. Put one camera in one spot and play 10 bouts and you would be hard pressed to get one wrong if you did your job right. Perhaps boxing needs to go to internet scoring by the public. I think there is a good chance it would be more fair.

[therealPunchDrunk]

Ugh, if this is correct information, I seriously fear for Olympic boxing's future.... :(

[Kolya]

No kidding Punchdrunk. It goes from just wondering if they'll finally include Women's Boxing to wondering if boxing will be in at all. :(

[ogii3]

Yesterday after Obreja's pressconference, which was called illigal by AIBA high officials, he was suspended and his accreditation to attend Olympic games was blocked. Later AIBA's president WU and Ho Kim promised to give a pressconference, but didn't show up. There were the other technical delegate of the event Tery Smith from Walce and US boxing president, who is member of AIBA disciplinary commision. THey didn't answer to Obreja's word saying that right now there is running an investigation of that case and they will not speak until the end of that investigation.

All of them were lucky, cos Obreja didnt speak in front of major agencies reporters, cos he has no time to organize more serious meeting with medias.

[boxmel]

Then when try to call someone on it, you get that old standard excuse/explanation that rings in your ear........It depends on where you sit. The fight can look very different from different angles. I didn't buy it then , I don't buy it now.

Hal - this is an accurate statement and I will defend it to my last gasp. This has nothing to do with Wu/Kim allegedly changing the official's draw at the Olympics.

Put one camera in one spot and play 10 bouts and you would be hard pressed to get one wrong if you did your job right.

Of course because every judge would then have the camera's point of view. For heaven's sake, if you're going to do that, you only need one judge - I wouldn't want to be the one, either.

Perhaps boxing needs to go to internet scoring by the public. I think there is a good chance it would be more fair.

You definitely wouldn't have the low scoring. 8)

[boxmel]

Ogii - did we really think anything was going to change? I commend Mr. Obreja's attempt at honesty, however he's a very small fish in a very big pond.

All of them were lucky, cos Obreja didnt speak in front of major agencies reporters, cos he has no time to organize more serious meeting with medias.

Maybe he should have made the time if it was that important.

[boxmel]

As posted on the USA Boxing web site:

AIBA to investigate official's corruption claims
By GREG BEACHAM - USOC via AP August 22, 2008
BEIJING (AP) The International Boxing Association will investigate claims made by a now-suspended official who alleges improprieties in the process used to give refereeing and judging assignments at the Beijing Olympics.

Rudi Obreja, a Romanian boxing executive who served as a technical delegate to the games, made a litany of lurid allegations against AIBA and its officials during an impromptu interview between sessions in Friday's semifinal bouts.

Citing no specific examples, Obreja claimed AIBA officials improperly manipulated the random assignment of referees and judges to suit particular boxers. Obreja, who was about to be removed from a committee in charge of the refereeing draw, has been suspended for speaking outside AIBA's disciplinary process, discipline committee member Tom Virgets said.

"Nothing has been found or proven yet," said technical delegate Terry Smith, Obreja's superior. "The matter is under investigation. Because of the suspicions we've got, the action was taken to make sure nothing developed until the info we have is proven or disproven. We've got no conclusive proof."

Smith said he first heard rumors of "a group of people" making an attempt to manipulate the process two months ago, and AIBA had guarded against any attempt.

AIBA's judging assignments are generated randomly by a computer, with referees and judges barred from participating in any bout with even a remote connection to boxers from their nation. Some AIBA officials still have the right to make changes if the computer-generated assignments miss an obvious conflict, such as a Kazakh fighter who might benefit from a Russian judge.

Obreja's allegations are the first from an AIBA official after two weeks of caterwauling by athletes and coaches over the refereeing and scoring at the Beijing Games. All four fighters who have protested the results of their bouts were denied, while several more have decried the accuracy of the scoring system.

Seemingly everybody thinks they're getting cheated: Chinese lightweight Hu Qing filed a protest over his quarterfinal loss Wednesday, just two bouts after Ukraine's Oleksandr Klyuchko protested the results of his fight against Hu.

Olympic boxing has been a target of judging criticism since at least 1936, with repeated claims of improper influencing and incompetent scoring in the subjective sport. Amateur boxing switched to a computer scoring system in 1992 after Roy Jones Jr.'s infamously unfair loss to a South Korean boxer in the Seoul Games, but Virgets is among those calling for major changes to that points-based system.

That change could be the next priority for AIBA, which has undergone a major overhaul in the nearly two years since Wu Ching-kuo ousted Anwar Chowdhry as president, getting rid of many representatives and judges thought to be ethically compromised.

"We know that the scoring system needs reform, and AIBA are committed to making these reforms over the next year or two," Virgets said.

But Obreja even alleged corruption in Wu's election in 2006, claiming delegates had been paid to vote for the Taiwanese president.

The barrage of accusations against the judging during the Olympics has undone much of the work done to repair AIBA's image, but Virgets said AIBA remains committed to open government of their fractious sport.

"Any allegations with charges that lead us to investigate are taken very seriously," Virgets said. "We will leave no stone unturned in determining what's taken place, and we'll be very transparent."

[PRKO]

Well it's been known all along, It's funny how some people here still defend the system, that's why probably Felix Diaz won his bout wasn't Wu's election in Santo Domingo, D.R, everybody knew Iglesias was the best fighter at 64kg.

Never trusted in Wu's selection these people should be banned.

[boxmel]

I will always defend the electronic scoring system because we don't have any other choice. Doesn't mean I don't believe it can be manipulated. And are you saying Diaz got a gift? Just because the elections were held in Santo Domingo? That's a bit far fetched, even for my imagination.

[therealPunchDrunk]

Don't know why Diaz got a gift, and not saying it was planned, but he did get a gift in the semifinal. Anyone with a brain could see that Vastine won that fight.

I also think the electronic scoring system is okay. It is in no way any worse than the bs system they have in pro boxing. In both instances, the people using the system, and the way they choose to/are told to use it, are the problem.

[Blackeye 84]

The coruption at the AIBA level and the corupt officials is what has screwed up amatuer boxing. I have never seen so many poor bouts in my life. Novice tournaments have better boxing than what I have seen at this Olympics. Referreing and judging is terrible. I would not blame the IOC for giving boxing the boot! Amateur Boxing has become a JOKE!!! Thanks AIBA!!!

[therealPunchDrunk]

I beg to differ. If you can't recognize the skill level of most of these fighters, that is your loss I guess. There have been too many bouts with negative tactics, excessive running and holding, but the main problem is the officals, not the boxers. They do what they have to do to win.

[ogii3]

Mel, Obreja is not small fish. He was the first to go in the direct war with Chowdry and Hussainov and he helped a lot to Wu's election. As you know i was in close contacts with some of the very high officials during the battles and even made one of the first interview with Mr Wu, when he was working for his campaign in 2006. I know Ho Kim, who running the candidature campaign of Wu. However some of the favorits must been paid.

About the tournament. I think there were a lot of interesting fights. Me personaly i prefer the new away of scoring only with strong punches. Its far away more atractive. We saw a lot of very close bouts. Of course R/J was bad in some moments, but in other - was ok. So a total - i think the olympic boxing tournaments wasn't worse ever :)

And just to add it was a pleasure to meet the great fotographer Scotty "2 Hottie" Mallon from Boxrec and to smatch down with him with some other fellows the Beijing night streets:)


If thay manage to repay their bills to all the peoples that helped for Chowdry's detronation it will be far more better in the future!
This is my personal opinion:) I hope so much