The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has sent home a number of judges and referees following outrage over a string of contentious decisions, amid ongoing claims of wider corruption at the Rio Games boxing tournament.
Less than 24 hours after the Guardian reported the fears of a high-level source that corruption was a factor in some of the decisions and Irish boxer Michael Conlan railed against the judges after losing against Vladimir Nikitin of Russia, six AIBA judges and referees are believed to have been sent home after the governing body reviewed the footage from contentious bouts.
AIBA said it took “immediate and appropriate actions” after carrying out a thorough examination by the relevant commission. The world body said it would not name them or confirm how many officials it had taken action against for fear of embarrassing the families of those concerned.
However, they did not include Colombia’s Armando Carbonell, who officiated in the now-notorious Evgeny Tishchenko gold medal bout on Monday and gave all four rounds against the Hartlepool middleweight Savannah Marshall in her losing quarter-final against Nouchka Fontijn.
AIBA, however, said that all of the results so far would stand.
Conlan, who said after his fight he would never box in an AIBA event again, tweeted: “Wow! this says a lot about AIBA, Sending judges home who ruin dreams, what happens 2 the ppl whose dreams were ruined?”
AIBA also continued to defend the wider standard of refereeing at these Games and said it would defend itself against allegations of corruption.
It has blamed a lack of understanding of the new scoring system introduced after London 2012 for the backlash against some results.
As of Wednesday morning it had conducted 239 Olympic bouts and remained “committed to fair and transparent sport”.
The Guardian reported before the Olympics of deep-seated fears of senior officials that a large number of significant bouts at the Games would be fixed, explaining in detail the extent of a problem that is said to go right to the heart of the governing body. On Tuesday, the same source said he believed the results so far had borne out his fears.
“With regard to corruption, we would like to strongly restate that unless tangible proof is put forward, not rumours, we will continue to use any means, including legal or disciplinary actions to protect our sport and its community whose integrity is constantly put into question,” AIBA said in its statement.
“The organisation will not be deterred by subjective judgments made by discontented parties. We welcome all parties to come forward and provide evidence in order to take appropriate and immediate action.”
The International Olympic Committee took a similar line, saying judging was a matter for the international federation but that it would take action against corruption if it was proved. “Of course we take all allegations very seriously. When there is evidence it is treated very seriously,” a spokesman said.
The Irish and American camps have been the most vociferous in their public criticism of the judging but other countries have also raised concerns privately. The parents of Gary Antuanne Russell, who controversially lost his light- middleweight quarter-final to Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov, said the decision to send some judges home meant nothing.
“It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change the decision. It means nothing to us,” his mother Lawan said, after a bout that drew vociferous criticism from the US head coach, Billy Walsh. She added: “Here’s the thing, so many people have been putting in their input (on AIBA) but it won’t change anything because they’re still working the same way.”

Russian boxer in judging furore out of Rio
The Russian boxer controversially adjudged to have beaten world champion Michael Conlan at the Rio Olympics is out of the Games because of injuries he suffered at the hands of the Irishman. Vladimir Nikitin’s withdrawal from his semi-final on Thursday will ramp up the pressure on the AIBA, which has faced criticism from boxers and coaches in Rio after many deeply contentious judging decisions. One of those was the unanimous points verdict given to the bantamweight Nikitin on Tuesday, sparking a furious, expletive-filled rant from Conlan, who in the eyes of most boxing experts had appeared to have been a clear winner.
And now it transpires that the injuries to the Russian — his face was a bloodied mess, although Conlan too took some punishment — will mean he cannot face American hot prospect Shakur Stevenson.
“Further examination showed that the injury suffered by our boxer Vladimir Nikitin is too serious. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to compete,” said Igor Kazikov, head of the Russian delegation at the Games.
Nikitin will carry home bronze and Stevenson is now guaranteed at least the silver. “I’m in the final baby,” the 19-year-old talent said in a short video clip posted on Twitter by USA Boxing.
The bantamweight final is scheduled for tomorrow and Stevenson will face either Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez, the 2012 gold medallist, or Uzbek Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Though the AIBA has sent home an undisclosed number of officials after what it called “less than a handful of decisions not at the level expected”, at least two of the three judges involved in the Conlan verdict are not among those removed.