(JULY 20) As we told you yesterday, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics programme, just published, includes boxing but all is not as well as it first seems for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) held a ‘close of conference, Media briefing at which it was stated that the AIBA’s funding remains suspended and that the IOC requires that greater progress be made by AIBA in meeting its earlier demands in full.

The respected “Inside the Games” social media sites reports that two bodies (the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) being the other) must now wait until the next IOC Executive Board meeting which convenes in Tokyo November 30/December 2 for a final decision as to whether or not boxing will DEFINITELY be included in the Tokyo programme as per the original schedule – worrying times for the AIBA, its boxers and coaches not to mention their National Federations.

After this week’s meeting, AIBA’s Tom Virgets of United States said :"We need to get clarification from the IOC with regards to what they are looking for and what we are not giving them," Virgets told insidethegames.

"We are going to ask them to be very clear and concise on what those concerns are so we can specifically address what concerns them.

"Once we have a clearly defined understanding of what it is that they find deficient, we will correct them.

"Until I can get clarification, I am very satisfied with the direction we are going in and we are going to continue to stay the course.”

At the media briefing “IOC Presidential spokesperson Mark Adams confirmed Rakhimov - who has signaled his intention to stand for the job on a permanent basis and has emerged as the favourite - was mentioned in the discussions.

There was no mention of any praise or progress made by AIBA but executive director Tom Virgets claimed they had made "great strides" in the areas highlighted by the IOC, according to “Inside the Games” reporter in Lausanne.

What appears particularly odd to your correspondent is why the AIBA says it does not know exactly the IOC is seeking in way of progress- are relations so bad that they don’t even communicate properly with each other – after all not only are they both based in Lausanne, Switzerland within minutes of each other even on foot.

“Switzerland has been home to the International Boxing Association (AIBA) since 2002. After several years in London (1946-1974) Moscow (1974-1978), Berlin and Atlanta, the AIBA Headquarters moved to Lausanne (Switzerland) where the International Olympic Committee has its own headquarters.

After a few years at Avenue de la Gare in Lausanne, AIBA moved in August, 2006 to a new home dedicated to sport; The House of International Sport (MSI) located on the edge of Lake Geneva in Lausanne. This new location is more adapted to AIBA’s needs. Ideally located between the IOC and the Olympic Museum, the AIBA headquarters is not far from the main motorway and the Lausanne city centre. The Geneva International Airport is also only 3 minutes away, according to the AIBA’s own website”.

So the wait goes on and we must now wait until at least December 2nd to see if boxing REALLY will be in the Tokyo Games. My ‘best guess’ is that it will be but ONLY if the IOC is satisfied that ALL of its key demands are met.

Such demands are likely to include a requirement that the AIBA’s current Interim President be replaced and in the writer’s view that is very likely to happen albeit Thomas Back understandably refused to comment at the Press Conference.