The World Boxing Council (WBC) appealed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with a request to keep boxing in the program of the Olympic Games, R-Sport reports.

In early November, the representative of Uzbekistan Gafur Rakhimov was elected to the presidency of the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA). After the Department of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Mr. Rakhimov, the IOC declared that his nomination for this post could affect the issue of maintaining the Olympic status of boxing.

Later on, it became known that the IOC would discuss the decision of the AIBA congress at the executive committee meeting in a month.

“Boxing has been one of the fundamental Olympic Games. Since 1904, it has been in the program of the modern Olympic Games. The entire boxing world is confident that the IOC and AIBA will sort out differences that threaten the presence of boxing in the program of the Olympic Games. Amateur boxing allows young people to achieve their dreams and gain fame by representing their country at the Olympics,” the WBC press release said.

It is reported that during the annual convention in Kiev, the WBC representatives signed a petition to set out the wishes of millions of boxing fans from across the world with the plea “Yes to boxing at the Olympic Games”.