mel you know amateur boxing as well as anyone i know
i thought i would ask your thoughts on the new changes in usa boxing,
looks like WU won a very close vote
23 hours later and a 83 to 79 vote victory
what are your thoughts, is amateur boxing back..??
DATE: October 17, 2006
TO: Presidents of All National Federations
FROM: USA Boxing
SUBJECT: Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu’s candidacy for president of AIBA
The United States of America Boxing (“USA Boxing”) strongly supports the candidacy of Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu for president of AIBA. The upcoming elections at the AIBA Congress in Santo Domingo represent a crossroads for our sport. We feel that Dr. Wu as the next president of AIBA will bring the integrity and credibility which our sport so badly needs if it is to regain its rightful place in the society of Olympic and International sport.
Everyone is aware of the history of inappropriate judging in amateur boxing. Everyone is aware that the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) froze its payments to AIBA from the TV Rights Share and Solidarity Fund to pressure a fairer judging system. USA Boxing agrees with the IOC that it is time to institute a clear timeline, planned actions, and accountability. Concerns about fiscal mismanagement and inappropriate judging in the recent games jeopardize the future of amateur boxing. Competition must be won or lost by athletes in the Ring, not by advocates in a darkened room.
USA Boxing believes it is time for change and rehabilitation. We need to make the sport of Olympic style boxing marketable and popular in both the International and Olympic Arenas. We need leadership that will be accountable. We believe that Dr. CK Wu is the individual who can provide AIBA with the leadership and direction to move our sport forward.
USA Boxing also wishes to make it clear that Ms. Sandy Pino does not represent any position, or the opinion of USA Boxing. In addition, USA Boxing does not support Ms. Sandy Pino in any AIBA position.
Best regards,
Bill Meartz
President, USA Boxing
The following represents the position of the United States Olympic Committee (“USOC”):
The USOC supports USA Boxing’s decision to support C.K. Wu’s candidacy for the president of AIBA.
Sandy Pino has no official status as an official of USA Boxing, or of the USOC and; furthermore, does not represent the position of USA Boxing, or the USOC. Ms. Pino’s actions and comments are made purely independent of the USOC and USA Boxing, and only express her individual opinions.
United States Amateur Boxing, Inc.
1 Olympic Plaza · Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909
(719) 866-4506 · FAX: (719) 632-3426 · Website: http://www.usaboxing.org
Presidents of All National Federations
WU WINS A CLOSE VICTORY....question for mel
Ahhhh - politics. I don't know if Wu will be any better than Chowdhry. I have heard that Wu bought votes with a great deal of money to insure his victory - and he only lost by 4 votes. Since his country does not have boxing, maybe he can focus on the entire sport rather than just his national interests. I wasn't impressed with his "campaign promises" of more marketing and open scoring as Chowdhry has already arranged for open scoring in 2008 and has done some work in doing a better job of marketing, so nothing new there. The IOC does like him, however, so maybe he'll be a positive voice for keeping amateur boxing in the Olympics. I really think it's a wait and see proposition.
Sandy Martinez-Pino ran up against gender discrimination during her term as USA Boxing president - another way to describe it is "male egos." When Sandy won the 2004 election, the losers filed a grievance against supposed irregularities in the voting. Our National Board of Review upheld the 2004 elections; our Appeal Board overturned the NBOR decision. Another election was held in 2005 and Sandy and the Board that had been elected with her, with one exception, lost. The 2005 election went to arbitration and Sandy won the arbitration, clearing her of any wrong doing in the 2004 election. However, the arbitration decision came after the USOC had stepped in and asked for a governance reform, therefore Sandy could not be reseated as president.
I'm not even sure the new governance reform is going to work since it's basically different faces, same people that brought about the reform in the first place. Again, wait and see.
Please understand that everything I have said above reflects only my opinions and I do not speak for any organization.
Sandy Martinez-Pino ran up against gender discrimination during her term as USA Boxing president - another way to describe it is "male egos." When Sandy won the 2004 election, the losers filed a grievance against supposed irregularities in the voting. Our National Board of Review upheld the 2004 elections; our Appeal Board overturned the NBOR decision. Another election was held in 2005 and Sandy and the Board that had been elected with her, with one exception, lost. The 2005 election went to arbitration and Sandy won the arbitration, clearing her of any wrong doing in the 2004 election. However, the arbitration decision came after the USOC had stepped in and asked for a governance reform, therefore Sandy could not be reseated as president.
I'm not even sure the new governance reform is going to work since it's basically different faces, same people that brought about the reform in the first place. Again, wait and see.
Please understand that everything I have said above reflects only my opinions and I do not speak for any organization.
Ogii - it is so sad because it is ALWAYS the athletes who get the short end of the stick. It's a wonder that the good ones even stick around - and some don't. But the one thing I have never understood in the 20 years I've been involved is how a person can get power from amateur athletes in an amateur sport. I just don't get it. Unfortunately, it also trickles down and permeates our local associations. I know that Eastern Europe has a reputation for the same kind of politics, only money is involved from what I've heard. 
We'll probably never know what happened to the Mali man and I'm sure there is plenty of speculation.
We'll probably never know what happened to the Mali man and I'm sure there is plenty of speculation.
You are right, Ukrainian boxing, which was strong almost as Russian, went to the bottom, thanks to inside wars for supremacy of so called chairmen of national boxing.
It's almost the same with great Romanian boxing school. Which forced to retierement two of all time great amateur boxers Dorel and Marian Simion, several years before they reach amateur boxing age limit. Bulgarian Serafim Todorov stopped with amateur boxing in the age of 27!!! We are speaking of three times world and three times EUropean champion and silver medalist from Atlanta (the same person who eliminated Floyd Mayeather). Dimitar Shtilianov also was forced to almost abandon amateur boxing last year. He is around 29-30......
It's almost the same with great Romanian boxing school. Which forced to retierement two of all time great amateur boxers Dorel and Marian Simion, several years before they reach amateur boxing age limit. Bulgarian Serafim Todorov stopped with amateur boxing in the age of 27!!! We are speaking of three times world and three times EUropean champion and silver medalist from Atlanta (the same person who eliminated Floyd Mayeather). Dimitar Shtilianov also was forced to almost abandon amateur boxing last year. He is around 29-30......
One of the reasons I think the Eastern Europeans dominate is because they do stay amateur until their late 20s. The Western mindset is for a boxer to go to the Olympics and then turn pro - or if he doesn't make the Olympic team, then he turns pro. Most of our athletes don't stay amateur after the age of 23 or 24 and that's about the time they are beginning to mature. The Simions were dominant for a very long time, as was Todorov, and I was sorry to see them go.
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locoxelbox
- Heavyweight
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- Joined: 04 Oct 2004, 12:26
I'm not so sure the eastern europeans dominate simply because they stay amateur longer. They have very good boxing programs and dominate just as much at cadets/junior/women level. Of course if the USA could keep their best amateurs longer they'd be one of the top nations but I think they need a radical change because the world has caught up with them and it's evident also in the professional boxing scene - just look at the heavyweights.
It's not strange the Todorovs and Simions retire at a young age. Todorov and Marian fought in three Olympics, had hundreds of bouts and there was nothing else to achieve in the amateurs for them. Amateur boxing is very demanding, you must always be the No 1 in your country and as an international boxer you always fight the best, year after year, in many tournaments. Very few boxers go all the way from the cadets/juniors to their thirties.
Hopefully Wu will be able to sell the sport a lot better than Chowdry was. It seems nobody cares about our sport anymore. It is so anonymous - nothing like the pros. Another thing that may improve are the AIBA finances - it seems Chowdry used AIBA money for his personal needs.
It's not strange the Todorovs and Simions retire at a young age. Todorov and Marian fought in three Olympics, had hundreds of bouts and there was nothing else to achieve in the amateurs for them. Amateur boxing is very demanding, you must always be the No 1 in your country and as an international boxer you always fight the best, year after year, in many tournaments. Very few boxers go all the way from the cadets/juniors to their thirties.
Hopefully Wu will be able to sell the sport a lot better than Chowdry was. It seems nobody cares about our sport anymore. It is so anonymous - nothing like the pros. Another thing that may improve are the AIBA finances - it seems Chowdry used AIBA money for his personal needs.
The big change that is needed in the U.S. is to make sure that our elite boxers are exposed to as much international competition as possible. I don't know that determining our Olympic team a year in advance is the answer, but we'll have to see if that tactic works. Our boxers usually have hundreds of bouts of experience by the time they turn pro, most of which is domestic and a small portion international.
It's extremely hard to keep our boxers amateur until their mid-to-late twenties. We are the only country whose sports are not government subsidized. Our boxers must figure out ways to miss school or miss work, or whether or not they can, to participate in national and international competitions. It makes it really tough when you have to choose between working to take care of your family or boxing. Boxing usually loses.
I wasn't impressed with Wu's campaign promises. Same old stuff. The IOC doesn't really care about boxing and either does the average boxing fan. It will be interesting to see how he attempts to market the sport. I also heard that Wu bought his votes by paying off delegates in U.S. $ and paying for their hotel rooms. He only lost by 4 points - that is hardly a sweeping majority. It remains to be seen whether or not one corruption has replaced another.
It's extremely hard to keep our boxers amateur until their mid-to-late twenties. We are the only country whose sports are not government subsidized. Our boxers must figure out ways to miss school or miss work, or whether or not they can, to participate in national and international competitions. It makes it really tough when you have to choose between working to take care of your family or boxing. Boxing usually loses.
I wasn't impressed with Wu's campaign promises. Same old stuff. The IOC doesn't really care about boxing and either does the average boxing fan. It will be interesting to see how he attempts to market the sport. I also heard that Wu bought his votes by paying off delegates in U.S. $ and paying for their hotel rooms. He only lost by 4 points - that is hardly a sweeping majority. It remains to be seen whether or not one corruption has replaced another.