AIBA is set to postpone its Congress indefinitely ©AIBA

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is set to postpone its Extraordinary Congress indefinitely amid growing worldwide concern over the coronavirus pandemic, insidethegames has learned.

Members of the AIBA Executive Committee will hold an e-mail vote to confirm the delay to the Congress, initially scheduled to take place in Budapest on March 20 before it was pushed back to June 20.

insidethegames understands the majority of Executive Committee members on a teleconference call today expressed the view that the Congress should be put on hold until the pandemic is under control.

October or November has been raised as a potential new date, but the Executive Committee appears unwilling to commit to a concrete timeline because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Among the key decisions set to be made at the Congress, initially due to be held in Lausanne before it was switched to Budapest, is a vote on statute changes, considered vital if AIBA is to regain its status as the Olympic governing body for the sport.

It has been suggested that the Presidential election could be staged during the same Congress, although the possibility of having two separate meetings remains on the table.

Mohamed Moustahsane will continue as AIBA Interim President until elections are held ©AIBA
Mohamed Moustahsane will continue as AIBA Interim President until elections are held ©AIBA

Under AIBA's current constitution, Mohamed Moustahsane's mandate as Interim President expires tomorrow, exactly 365 days since his election following the resignation of Gafur Rakhimov.

The Moroccan's tenure will be further extended should the Executive Committee vote in favour of another postponement to the Congress.

Moustahsane was granted an extension in the role earlier this month after the ruling body allowed him to continue until the postponed Congress.

It effectively meant AIBA, suspended as the Olympic governing body for the sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last June, had breached its own constitution by not having an election for a permanent President within the timeframe outlined in the document.

AIBA's leadership hope the new statutes, being devised by a Reform Commission, will be passed at the Congress as part of its bid to be reinstated by the IOC.

The embattled organisation has been stripped of any involvement in the boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020.

Its status will not be considered until after the Olympic Games, postponed this week after the World Health Organization warned the coronavirus pandemic was accelerating.