The IMC held a meeting today at Hamburg’s Hyperion Hotel ©World Boxing Press

Members of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) set up by opponents of International Boxing Association (AIBA) President C K Wu have called for an Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting to be held next month. 

They want it to check preparations for the Extraordinary General Assembly where the fate of the 70-year-old Taiwanese is due to be decided.

A total of 13 of 15 members of the ruling AIBA Executive Committee opposed Wu at a meeting in Moscow last month and set up the rival IMC in an attempt to bring about his removal.

An Extraordinary General Assembly is likely to be held in October in Lausanne at which national governing bodies - as statutes dictate - will decide on whether Wu retains his position.

The IMC claim this crucial meeting, however, will take place in Dubai on November 12 and would like a pre-meeting to be held in the same city on September 23.

They have sent a letter to Wu to this effect based on purposes such as fulfilling Executive Committee duties which they have not been able to accomplish and proving the Executive Committee's efforts to stabilise the current AIBA situation continuously.

"It is difficult for us as an Executive Committee to fulfil our share of responsibilities to our National Federations if we don’t have the information which we need in order to do so," Pat Fiacco, a member of the IMC, said at a press conference.

"So as a result of that, it was the Executive Committee that called for the Extraordinary Congress and voted on and approved it.

"We have now asked the President to convene the Extraordinary Congress in Dubai on November 12.

"We have also asked for an Extraordinary Executive Committee to be held on September 23, in which we can prepare for the Congress, which is the duty of the Executive Committee to do so. 

"So we are hoping that the President will certainly cooperate with this because at this stage, there’s been no cooperation.

"It’s been pretty much a President and the executive director arbitrarily making  decisions without the involvement of the Executive Committee.

"Ultimately, at the end of the day, the National Federations will make the decision in November at Congress on the future of President Wu and the future of AIBA."

The 2017 AIBA World Championships have begun under a cloud in Hamburg ©AIBA
The 2017 AIBA World Championships have begun under a cloud in Hamburg ©AIBA

The IMC have asked for confirmation from Wu by September 1 on the request.

In another letter sent to Wu, the IMC have also requested copies of several agreements they say he has signed.

Among them is the loan agreement with Azerbaijani company Benkons MMC, which is reportedly owed $10 million (£7.8 million/€8.4 million) by AIBA. 

They are also asking for a copy of the investment agreement with Boxing Marketing Arm (BMA), set up to promote and sell rights for all AIBA products.

Chinese businessman Wu Di, owner of the firm First Commitment International Trade Company (FCIT), invested CHF19 million (£15.4 million/$19.9 million/€16.7 million) into BMA but filed paperwork on May 31 requesting that his money be returned.

In May, AIBA signed an exclusive global marketing agreement with Alisports, the sport division of Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba, leading to BMA being closed.

AIBA claim this decision was taken by the BMA Board, including Wu Di.

The IMC have also asked for the investment agreement with FCIT in BMA and the agreement with Alisports.

"We plan to investigate them and discuss among members in order to find any possible way to have AIBA avoid facing some dire situations in the future," the letter to Wu said.

"We expect absolute transparency in the matter."

They have requested that all the agreements are sent to all AIBA Executive Committee members by September 1 at the latest.

"There’s a no confidence vote that will be taken, based on the financial irregularities in the organisation and the lack of transparency," Fiacco added.

"And the Executive Committee finally has made it very clear that this isn’t right and we need to change, and we also believe very strongly that we have the support of the majority of the National Federations as well.

"This organisation does not belong to the President, this organisation belongs to every National Federation around the world.

"That’s what AIBA is, we are a member organisation who elected us on their behalf and we are providing information that will allow our members to make sound decisions for the future."

The  Interim Management Committee  is attempting to remove C K Wu as AIBA President ©Getty Images
The Interim Management Committee is attempting to remove C K Wu as AIBA President ©Getty Images

Wu insisted on Wednesday (August 23) that all members of the IMC will be free to attend the ongoing AIBA World Championships here following claims that some had been denied accreditation.

The Swiss courts are expected to rule next month on who has the right to run the body.

The IMC had vowed to "meet National Federations in Hamburg to explain the details of Wu's mismanagement at AIBA" and have held a gathering at the Hyperion Hotel in Hamburg.

They claim 81 Federations, including China, Russia and the United States, have written to them "expressing their support for the impeachment of Wu in November".

This has been rejected by Wu and AIBA, however, who claim that many of these amount to nothing more than a name of a country on a piece of paper.

Wu claimed to have received 30 letters of support from National Federation (NFs) Presidents.

"We just held a meeting this morning with a number of the NFs that were here and everyone of them strongly urges us to continue on their behalf as they’re fed up as well," Fiacco said. 

"As a matter of fact, I found it quite interesting that one of the National Federation Presidents said that he’s sick of being treated like an idiot, so pretty strong words."

Fiacco went onto claim that boxing is in jeopardy of losing its Olympic status.

"This is much more than about political manoeuvring, it’s got nothing to do with that," he added. 

"This our sport. 

"This sport for many communities is a social fabric that unfortunate children, who through no choice of their own can’t participate in any other sport, are allowed to undertake and it’s getting destroyed for selfish reasons."

When contacted by insidethegames about the letters sent to Wu, an AIBA spokesperson said: "As outlined by AIBA President Dr Wu and LOC (Local Organising Committee) and German National Federation President Mr. Jürgen Kyas during Friday's (August 25) opening press conference, the delivery of a successful World Championships should remain our sole concern and our collective priority must be to showcase the very best of our sport and crown 10 amazing world champions in Hamburg on Saturday (September 2). 

"We owe this to our National Federation delegations, our boxers, our partners and our boxing fans."

AIBA announced last week that the District Court of Lausanne has ruled to uphold the decision to revoke the position of Wales' Terry Smith, one of the leading figures behind the IMC, on its Executive Committee.

The AIBA spokesperson added that the decision "leaves us confident that the judge will take the right decision in mid-September in order for AIBA to continue operate in accordance with our statutes and bylaws and to focus on the development of our sport".