Tweet
http://www.supersport.com/boxing/ama..._BBC_square_up
The International Amateur Boxing Association wants to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation over allegations of cash for medals at the London Olympic Games.
The AIBA announced on Saturday it had begun legal action after the broadcaster repeated on Friday night that boxing medals could be bought at the Games.
The BBC on Friday repeated an allegation first made in a Newsnight documentary last September that around $10m had been paid from Azerbaijan to boxing authorities in return for two gold medals.
On Friday night, Azerbaijan’s super-heavyweight Magomedrasul Medzhidov and heavyweight Teymur Mammadov both lost their semifinals, leaving them with bronze medals.
No other Azerbaijani boxers are left in the competition.
The International Olympic Committee and AIBA investigated the BBC's original claims, failing to find any wrongdoing. Now amateur boxing’s governing body are hitting back.
"In September last year the BBC alleged that AIBA took a $10 million bribe from Azerbaijan in exchange for two gold medals at the Olympic Games in London," said AIBA president Dr Ching-Kuo Wu.
"Both AIBA and the IOC investigated the claim and could find no evidence to support it.
"The BBC re-broadcast the allegation last night (in a website report), on the eve of the semifinals, having been told it is untrue.
"Therefore I have today instructed the London libel firm PSB Law to begin legal action against the BBC,” Wu said in a Statement.
"I have worked extremely hard over the past six years to clean up Olympic boxing after years of corruption scandals under the previous administration and I am extremely disappointed and frustrated by the BBC."
NBC TOLD TO MOVE
On Friday, AIBA officials asked the Games organisers to tell American broadcaster NBC to cease its ringside commentary because they were disrupting officials.
NBC was the only broadcaster allowed to commentate from the ringside floor. The officials said the broadcasters had disturbed officials sitting next to them throughout the competition.
They recommended to the London organising committee (LOCOG) that NBC's commentary team leave their position. They were offered a space with the other media but decided to leave instead, AIBA said.
"NBC commentators were offered a booth in the media tribune like other broadcasters because they were very disturbing for AIBA officials, even during bouts they were not broadcasting, being located at the edge of the Field of Play," an AIBA spokesman said in a statement.
"They claimed that since no boxers from the USA were still in the running, they didn't want to stay anyway."
The International Amateur Boxing Association wants to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation over allegations of cash for medals at the London Olympic Games.
The AIBA announced on Saturday it had begun legal action after the broadcaster repeated on Friday night that boxing medals could be bought at the Games.
The BBC on Friday repeated an allegation first made in a Newsnight documentary last September that around $10m had been paid from Azerbaijan to boxing authorities in return for two gold medals.
On Friday night, Azerbaijan’s super-heavyweight Magomedrasul Medzhidov and heavyweight Teymur Mammadov both lost their semifinals, leaving them with bronze medals.
No other Azerbaijani boxers are left in the competition.
The International Olympic Committee and AIBA investigated the BBC's original claims, failing to find any wrongdoing. Now amateur boxing’s governing body are hitting back.
"In September last year the BBC alleged that AIBA took a $10 million bribe from Azerbaijan in exchange for two gold medals at the Olympic Games in London," said AIBA president Dr Ching-Kuo Wu.
"Both AIBA and the IOC investigated the claim and could find no evidence to support it.
"The BBC re-broadcast the allegation last night (in a website report), on the eve of the semifinals, having been told it is untrue.
"Therefore I have today instructed the London libel firm PSB Law to begin legal action against the BBC,” Wu said in a Statement.
"I have worked extremely hard over the past six years to clean up Olympic boxing after years of corruption scandals under the previous administration and I am extremely disappointed and frustrated by the BBC."
NBC TOLD TO MOVE
On Friday, AIBA officials asked the Games organisers to tell American broadcaster NBC to cease its ringside commentary because they were disrupting officials.
NBC was the only broadcaster allowed to commentate from the ringside floor. The officials said the broadcasters had disturbed officials sitting next to them throughout the competition.
They recommended to the London organising committee (LOCOG) that NBC's commentary team leave their position. They were offered a space with the other media but decided to leave instead, AIBA said.
"NBC commentators were offered a booth in the media tribune like other broadcasters because they were very disturbing for AIBA officials, even during bouts they were not broadcasting, being located at the edge of the Field of Play," an AIBA spokesman said in a statement.
"They claimed that since no boxers from the USA were still in the running, they didn't want to stay anyway."