World amateur boxing body's under-fire president Gafur Rakhimov Friday resigned from the top job amid a dispute with the International Olympic Committee, which had threatened to take the sport off the 2020 Olympics roster.
Accused of having links to organised crime by the US Treasury department, Rahimov took over as International Boxing Association (AIBA) chief last year despite warnings from the IOC that it would jeopardise boxing's future at the Olympics.
The IOC had threatened to take the sport off the 2020 Tokyo Olympics roster citing "governance issues" in the AIBA - Rahimov at the helm being a key concern for it.
In a press release, Rahimov stated, "... given the current situation, I have informed the AIBA Executive Committee of my intent to step aside as AIBA President in accordance with the AIBA Statutes and Bylaws, which allow the President to renounce to exercise his powers and to be replaced by an Interim President."
"I have called an AIBA Executive Committee's teleconference meeting over the weekend to address this matter and initiate the process of appointing an Interim President."
The Uzbek also took the opportunity to rubbish all the allegations levelled against him.
"Once again, as I have stated before on numerous occasions, I attest and confirm that the allegations against me were fabricated and based on politically motivated lies; I trust that the truth will prevail.
"Nevertheless, I have always said that I would never put myself above Boxing, and as President, I have a duty to do everything in my power to serve our sport and our athletes."
The popular combat sport has been a part of every Olympics since its introduction at the 1904 Games, barring Stockholm 1912. The reason for its only Olympic omission was the Swedish law, which banned the sport at that time.
Soon after his appointment, Rakhimov had said that the election had "given the entire boxing world a boost of positive energy" and offered the IOC "olive branch".
"I truly believe that the work done this last year has revitalized and energized AIBA and boxing.
"However, despite these efforts, there have been many discussions these last few months about the future of Olympic boxing. A lot of that was mainly focused on politics and not sport.
"While I had truly hoped and believed that sport and politics could be separated, and that the good work and positive changes being infused into AIBA would be recognised, the politically based discussions have put into question the progress being made throughout the AIBA organisation," Rahimov stated in the release.
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