To:             President Thomas Bach & Executive Board (EB)  International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.),Lausanne,Switzerland, According to the I.O.C the email address on the petition is valid for a communication addressed to Dr Bach: Any email sent there will automatically be sent to Thomas Bach’s Office.  Mailing address: Château de Vidy, Case postale 356, 1001 Lausanne, Switzerland

 

Copy:        President Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu  & Executive Committee -  International Boxing Association, Lausanne, Switzerland  (A.I.B.A)

 

To increase opportunities for female boxers, and to not discriminate against not only female boxers, but women in sports in the Olympics.  Presently there will only be 36 female boxers, three weight classes vs. 250 male boxers, ten weight classes in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

WBAN is asking in this petition that the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) jointly with the International Boxing Association (A.I.B.A)  reconsider the decision -  which results from no increase in athletes or medals  - namely to  continue with only three weight class divisions in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.  To only have three weight classes for female boxers  means that the females who do not fit into those categories will not be able to compete in the Olympics, which would very much be against the ideals of the Olympic  Spirit and Movement. 

In some cases young female athletes in their desperation to appear in the Olympics may seek to lose or put on significant weight which could prove extremely damaging to their health  and welfare. We feel sure that this is fully understood and appreciated  by both organisations.  The men's division allow 10 weight classes. WBAN looks at this discrepancy for female vs. male boxers in the Olympics as discriminatory.

WBAN was informed on July 25, 2013 that the I.O.C.  had met in Lausanne.  In a report we published on WBAN on this date, we posted the statement made from the I.O.C Executive Board HQ  website in Lausanne, offering this explanation: 

"The EB discussed the topic of possible modifications to disciplines, events, quotas and competition formats at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and reiterated that any request from International Federations that would result in a higher number of athletes or increased number of medals, thereby adding to the cost and complexity of the Games, would not be considered." . A footnote added : “At a later stage, the IOC will study the quota-neutral requests already made by IFs for either a swap of event or modifications of competition format.”

WBAN also understands and accepts  that this decision did not only apply to female boxing but to   similar hopes from other sporting organizations that include Sailing, Swimming and Cycling.

WBAN is inviting the public in all territories, to sign this petition  requesting that  I.O.C. and A.I.B.A Executives reconsider the situation  in regards to the amount of weight classes for the female boxers, in the spirit of the Olympic movement and also taking into consideration the health and welfare of female boxers.