The management of the Asian Boxing Confederation decided to arrange an ASBC Extraordinary Congress in the United Arab Emirates one month ago after the Board of Directors meeting in order to vote on joining World Boxing.

The International Olympic Committee withdrew the recognition of the International Boxing Association as the governing body for Olympic boxing. The Asian Boxing Confederation has considered aligning with World Boxing which is aiming for recognition of the International Olympic Committee.

The congress was held by the General Secretary of ASBC Al Ali Salameh, the President of ASBC Pichai Chunhavajira and the Vice President Aziz Kozhambetov.

The first motion in the agenda of the Congress was to vote between the national federations of ASBC to join World Boxing. Out of 36 national federations attending the Congress, 14 voted to join World Boxing, 21 not to join and one preferred not to vote. As a result, ASBC is not joining World Boxing at least by now.

After this voting finished, Anas Alotaiba, President of UAE Boxing Federation, proposed not only not to join World Boxing but to become independent and deal directly with the IOC. The delegate from the Tajikistan Boxing Federation made the point that this question is not in the Agenda of this Congress, however the President of ASBC Pichai Chunhavajira and the General Secretary Al Ali Salameh proceeded with the question and as a result 19 votes out of 36 voted to become "independent".

After the voting was completed, Al Ali Salameh said "We have a majority, let's put this motion to the Agenda of the Congress".  However, in the Constitution of ASBC there are 2 points that have been omitted by this gesture:

"19.8 An item or items of business not included on the Agenda for a Congress meeting may be considered and dealt with at such meeting if the Voting Delegates from not less than two thirds of the National Federations in attendance at the meeting vote in favour of the inclusion of such item in the Agenda for such meeting."

"19.9 No motion to amend this Constitution, hold elections or dissolve the ASBC shall be considered at a meeting of the Congress unless it appears on the Agenda for that meeting."

That's what the Vice President Aziz Kozhambetov asked to take in consideration after the voting process for independence of the governing body of Asian Boxing.

Then Al Ali Salameh proposed to vote for the motion to set it up in the Agenda, however the Delegate of Saudi Arabian Boxing Federation insisted that the motion needed to be supported by at least two thirds of the votes and it got 19 out of 36 that means that the motion failed.

To conclude, the Vice President of ASBC, Aziz Kozhambetov took the word to insist that if the Board of Directors of ASBC and the Congress wants to take such a decision, it should be prepared better for a Congress and to be set up in the Agenda. The decisions taken at this Congress to be respected and accomplished.

Delegates from World Boxing also attended the Congress and were in touch with the National Federations that constitute ASBC.