Clean Record for AIBA's Khusainov

C.K. Wu, new AIBA president.(ATR) A move to discredit a Russian boxing leader has backfired for international boxing federation AIBA, which handed out news reports this week from Around the Rings alleging vice president Eduard Khusainov was convicted for terrorist acts.

Copies of documents from Moscow, including letters and passports, indicate that Khusainov is in no way connected to these accusations.

Its apparently a case of mistaken identity: Eduard K. Khusainov is the man convicted, while Eduard R. Khusainov is the head of the Russian Boxing Federation and the AIBA vice president.

Based on the apparently incorrect report in ATR, Khusainov was barred from Thursdays meeting of the AIBA executive council in Taipei. He was not even permitted to defend himself before his colleagues, according to an official who was there.

There is no immediate comment from AIBA President C.K. Wu or other officials in Taipei due to the time difference as this report is compiled. Efforts are also being made to reach Khusainov.

Wu was elected on the back of a pledge to reform AIBA. The election in Santo Domingo in November was a controversial one and closely contested. Wu defeated 20-year incumbent Anwar Chowdhry by just four votes.

Khusainov, a supporter of Chowdhry, was elected vice president. At the time of the vote, his name had not been linked to the crimes of the other Khusainov.

The repercussions of the false accusations could make Wu's task even more difficult and leave him with little room to save face, even as he launches changes urged by the IOC and members of AIBA.

In just a few days, the reform commission esta Eduard Khusainov, AIBA vice president.blished by AIBA meets in Taipei. The commission is headed by IOC member Gerhard Heiberg.

The documents to ATR, delivered by e-mail, were in response to queries made four days ago to Khusainovs office.

They include letters from the Russian court absolving boxings Khusainov of any trouble.

Another letter from Alexander Polinsky, a leading executive with the Moscow city government in sport, says Eduard R. Khusainov is known for winning international boxing championships and describes him as a good family man, an honoured worker of Russian sport.

Around the Rings apologizes for the erroneous reports.

Meanwhile Russian sport officials tell Around the Rings they are wary of efforts by AIBA's new leadership to raise questions about whether Moscow is ready to host the boxing world championships in September.

IOC member Vitaly Smirnov tells Around the Rings that despite the absence of a contract for the tournament between AIBA and the city, the government has already budgeted money to host the event.

He says the lack of a contract and other specifics of the tournament are the result of loose business practices of the Chowdhry administration and are not the fault of Khusainov.

This man is not to blame for this, says Smirnov about Khusainov and questions over the championships.

The status of the world championships was to be one of the issues discussed at the AIBA meeting in Taipei.

It is the policy of Around the Rings to correct factual errors as they occur. Corrections and comments are always welcomed via email to comment@aroundtherings.com