Explainer: Manny Pacquiao’s involvement with the International Boxing Association
MANILA, Philippines — Earlier this week, ahead of the Thrilla in Manila II event in the Philippines, another boxing-related news came up — Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has been appointed vice president of the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IBA, in a statement dated October 27, said that Pacquiao’s appointment “pushes the organization forward its Golden Era — a drive to professionalize the sport, expand athlete opportunities and keep boxing free from political interference.”
So, what will the 46-year-old Pacquiao do in his new position? What will the scope of his power be? What is the IBA, anyway?
Sports development
According to Pacquiao, he will focus on sports development in his role with the IBA.
“Mag-focus kami sa sports development, yung mga bata. So, yun ang diniscuss namin na mag-focus kami doon,” he told reporters during a media scrum Wednesday.
“So, abangan niyo na lang. Makatulong tayo nang malaki sa mga young boxers natin,” he added.
According to Pacquiao, the organization will launch the Manny Pacquiao Sports Academy, which will not only focus on boxing, but “all the sports.”
“Bale, yung idea nila at idea ko, pinaghalo namin. So parang collaboration of ideas, plans and maganda yung resulta,” he said.
“And, we can do a lot of things with this new friendship with the IBA,” he added.
The academy, the boxer said, will not only be in the Philippines, but other countries as well, such as the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Russia and China.
In a separate statement, Pacquiao said that he will be working alongside IBA president Umar Kremlev to “develop athlete-first programs, grow boxing in Asia and beyond, and champion fairness and protection for boxers.”
“Under the visionary leadership of President Umar Kremlev, the IBA has entered a Golden Era — an era where every boxer, from every country, can dream, fight, and succeed on equal terms. I am proud to join this mission — to make sure no young boxer is left behind, no champion is forgotten, and no nation is excluded,” Pacquiao said.
“As Vice President, I will dedicate myself to building bridges — between amateurs and professionals, between East and West, between generations and cultures. I believe boxing can unite people in ways that politics never can. It can change lives, transform communities, and bring peace where there is division.”
Kremlev, for his part, said that Pacquiao’s life story “mirrors the spirit of IBA’s mission.”
“We have been helping children as an organization, while Manny has been doing it all alone. Now, we will continue to help our children together as a united IBA boxing family and extend Manny’s programs beyond the borders.”
IBA history
According to its website, the IBA was first founded in 1920, then as the International Amateur Boxing Federation or FIBA (not to be confused with the similarly named world basketball body). It is one of the oldest boxing federations in the world.
Twenty-six years later, it was established as the AIBA, or the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur.
Through the decades, several reforms were introduced. Continental boxing championships were likewise launched, and in 1989, an electronic scoring system was used for the first time in Moscow.
But of course, the AIBA had its fair share of controversies over the years.
One of the most high-profile instances was the Olympic defeat of Roy Jones Jr., who settled for silver in the 1988 Seoul Games.
Jones lost 2-3 to South Korean pug Park Si-Hun in the light middleweight division in the Olympics despite landing more shots.
In the 1996 Olympics, Filipino boxer Onyok Velasco also settled for silver after Daniel Petrov got the nod in their gold medal match. During the fight, there were allegations of computer scoring irregularities.
In 2005, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) froze about $9 million in payments for the AIBA, as the committee was “concerned about the way matches are scored and officials are selected for boxing matches.”
In 2019, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the AIBA was stripped of its right to host the Olympic boxing tournament.
In December 2021, the AIBA then changed its acronym to the IBA. While there is a new logo and brand, the organization’s president, Kremlev of Russia, remained.
And in 2023, the IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA as boxing’s government body, since the organization “failed to fulfill the conditions set by the IOC in its decision communicated to the IBA on 9 December 2021 — which was not challenged by the IBA — for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition.”
Among the conditions raised were the increasing of financial transparency and sustainability of the AIBA; the changing of its referees and judges process to ensure integrity; the ensuring of full and effective implementation of all measures proposed, which includes the change of culture; and keeping the IOC executive board updated.
Moving forward
Aside from the planned Pacquiao Sports Academy, in December of this year, the IBA will hold the men’s elite world championships in Dubai.
The association said that it is the “world’s finest international talent to the region,” as the prize pool will be worth $8 million.
The IBA said that it is part of Kremlev’s commitment to investing in grassroots boxing and the IBA’s dedication to rewarding excellence on the global stage.
“This World Championships is not just about records and prize money — it is about giving every boxer, every coach and every National Federation the respect and reward they deserve,” Kremlev said in a statement.
“Dubai will become the capital of boxing this December, where athletes from every corner of the globe will compete on equal terms, under their own flags, and with a chance to change their lives,” he added.
“The IBA exists to protect boxers, to create opportunities and to ensure that the sport remains a force for unity and fairness. The Festival of Boxing will be remembered as the moment when our sport reached a new level.”
It is interesting, however, to see IBA’s relationship with the Association of Boxing Alliances (ABAP) in the Philippines, which is the national governing body for amateur boxing in the country. According to a STAR report in March this year, the ABAP severed its ties with the IBA as it stated that it will only participate in events only sanctioned by World Boxing and Asian Boxing.
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