NEWSLETTER EUBC by President Franco Falcinelli, February 2022
03 March 2022Dear friends,
we are going through a dark and dramatic period in the history of our continent. If a wise solution is not found to this tragic conflict, the only future that awaits our international community will be filed destruction, death and poverty.
We pray intensely for the good of humanity, for peace and shared harmony to return soon between two brother nations, Russia and Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the search for peace cannot be one-sided, but first of all Russia must stop the war machine that is causing so much suffering to the Ukrainian people.
Facing terrible war scenario, after centuries of neutrality and despite the Olympic Charter, sport has also been involved and invited to take official actions.
I don’t know how effective discriminatory actions against individual athletes can be, but this involvement of Olympic sport opens up a disturbing prospect: will we have to apply it in all current and future conflicts in the world?
We believe that the role of sport is not to judge or take positions, but to continue promoting principles of respect, loyalty, solidarity and reconciliation. We should educate young people to believe in peace, because it makes them free, while war paralyzes, traumatizes and destroys.
We trust in the role of diplomacy and in the good will of our political leaders to whom we have entrusted the destiny of social and political coexistence.
Just like during devastating pandemic, we will not stop any activities and continue to look with confidence and optimism to the future of Olympic boxing.
EUBC Extraordinary Congress and Board of Directors Meeting
On February 27, the EUBC held the virtual Extraordinary Congress with the precious support of the EUBC Legal Counsel Alessandro Oliverio and the Notary Andrea Sartore, and approved the amendments to the new EUBC Constitution. Immediately after the Congress, the Board of Directors traced the path to reach the Ordinary Congress of the EUBC and the IBA which will be held respectively on April 30 in Assisi and 12-13 May In Istanbul.
The EUBC Board of Directors approved:
1) The Bylaws (rules of Congress) 2) The Road to EUBC Congress: deadlines and roadmap 3) The EUBC Athletes Committee: Female Election on May 11, 2022 (Istanbul, Turkey) and Man Election on May 21 (Yerevan, Arm).
Olympic Qualification Paris 2024
And now, I would like to draw your attention to analysation of a serious topic that the IBA has submitted for evaluation of the Board of Directors and the NFs in recent days, the “Qualification System” for the GAMES of the XXIII Olimpiad – Paris 2024.
The IBA and IOC are working in order to provide the best Olympic qualification path, which, in my opinion, should be reviewed and modified. In the proposal of the Qualification System the Olympic weight categories have significantly changed. Men lose one category by going down from 8 to 7, while female categories go up from 5 to 6. The restriction of the categories has forced to widen the weight limits from 6 to 12 kg.
This solution contradicts the health precautions that for 75 years have prevented the category limits from being too wide in order to protect the health of athletes. The power of the punches is in relation to the body mass and therefore also Dr. Francesco Rondoni, for 40 years sports physician of the FPI, states: “Such a high weight difference, especially in the lower weight categories, corresponds to different body mass and muscle structures, which could become a determining factor for the head traumas”.
Another proposal that appears more surprising is the assignment of the same “Quota Places”: 124 men and 124 women. If this means affirming the principle of gender equality we must have the courage to say that this choice represents a drastic marginalization of men compared to women!
Gender Equality shall not be promoted by penalizing males!
The number of male boxers all over the world outweighs that of women.
The 7 categories for men include less boxers than for women who can count on a greater number of participants in 6 categories.
Therefore, reduction of male boxers, who will take part in the Olympic Games, in each category brings lower technical level of the weight category itself.
In the female 60 kg category there are 28 athletes, which will be difficult to select if you want to respect the principles of quality and sporting merit.
Congratulations on elections
I conclude with two good news. Tauhiti Nena has been elected to lead the Confederation of the Continent of Oceania. The Azerbaijan Boxing Federation has also elected the new President Sahil Babayev, Minister of Labour and Social Security of the Country. I send both my sincere wishes for good work and sport success. I would also like to express to Ted Tanner, who left his position of the OSBC President after so many prestigious years of commendable commitment, the sentiments of gratitude of all the Olympic boxing world.
Competitions
In February, 4 international tournaments took place, two of which, for the first time, under the organizational leadership of the IBA: 66th Bocskai Istvan Memorial (HUN) – Silver Belt and Strandja Tournament (BUL) – Golden Belt. The other major tournaments were: International Boxing Tournament names after A. Kolchin (BLR) and International Junior and Youth Men’s and Women’s Tournament “Brasov Open” (ROU).
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all National Federations and LOCs who continue to organize numerous international tournaments. The opportunity to develop both sport, technical and cultural aspects is extremely important for our boxers.
