Michael Conlan expresses his displeasure after losing to Nikitin in Rio.

Michael Conlan expresses his displeasure after losing to Nikitin in Rio.

WORLD BOXING’S GOVERNING body, the AIBA, has sidelined all 36 judges and referees used in August’s Olympic Games pending the result of an investigation into officiating in Rio.

Following some controversial decisions in Rio, the AIBA dropped a number of unidentified officials during the competition.

Ireland’s Michael Conlan was particularly aggrieved after his shock defeat to Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin in their bantamweight contest. An emotional Belfast boxer told RTÉ at the time:

“I’ll never box for AIBA again, they’re cheating bastards.

I was here to win Olympic gold. My dream’s been shattered now. But you know what, I’ve a big career ahead of me and these ones, they’re known for being cheats and they’ll always be cheats.

“Amateur boxing stinks from the core to the top.”

In a statement today, the International Boxing Association said:

“While the majority of the boxing competition in Rio 2016 was received very positively… a small number of decisions under debate indicated that further reforms in the AIBA R&J (referee and judging) procedures were necessary.

“Initial decisions were made on-site during Rio 2016 to ensure the smooth running of the rest of the competition. The results of a specific R&J investigation, currently underway, will allow AIBA to fully assess what action needs to be taken.

“In the meantime, it has been decided that all 36 R&Js that were used at the Olympic Games will not officiate at any AIBA event until the investigation reaches its conclusion, along with further immediate measures adopted by the commissions.”