(Reuters) – Richard McLaren, who has led investigations into Russian doping and corruption in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), has been put in charge of an investigation into international boxing, the Canadian law professor said on Monday.
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has brought in McLaren Global Sport Solutions to investigate mismanagement and corruption as the cash strapped body looks to restore its Olympic status.
The association was suspended in 2019 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and stripped of any involvement in the qualifiers and tournament for the Tokyo Games over a string of governance, finance and ethical issues.
The IOC has said the status of AIBA would be reviewed after the 2020 Tokyo Games, which were postponed to this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Boxing has a long history of questionable activities,” said McLaren in a statement announcing the investigation. “There have been multiple past investigations into the sport that have either not been completed or acted upon.
“It is time for boxing to turn the page, but it cannot do so without a full accounting of any alleged misconduct.
“Our team will conduct an independent investigation into the questions surrounding corruption or manipulation of sporting results during the Rio Olympic Games, identify the persons responsible and recommend the appropriate course of action.”
McLaren’s investigation will also include individuals involved in the management and administration of AIBA to determine if there have been acts of corruption.
A report on the first stage of the investigation is expected by the end of August 2021.
McLaren’s independent investigation into widespread, state sponsored doping in Russian led to country being banned from all international athletic competitions, including the Rio 2016 Olympics.
His investigation of weightlifting uncovered decades of corruption orchestrated by former president Tamas Ajan, including vote buying, doping cover-ups and bribes.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Christian Radnedge)