Istanbul, May 14 (IANS): Russian Umar Kremlev has been re-elected as International Boxing Association (IBA) president by acclamation in the Extraordinary Election Congress held here, the world sports body said in a statement on Saturday.

Kremlev will serve for a fresh four-year term until 2026 and has promised to keep working for the boxing community.

Russian Kremlev was the only candidate deemed eligible to stand in the Extraordinary Election Congress in Istanbul. Dutchman Boris van der Vorst was expected to challenge Kremlev but was ruled to be ineligible by the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit Interim Nomination Unit (BIIU) after failing to respect the electoral code, a decision he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"Athletes and their coaches are the most important part of boxing and we must all work to support them. For me, the most important thing is the trust of the boxers, the trainers and you, the National Federations," Kremlev told delegates after his election.

"Thank you for your trust. We have much to do: let's do it as a united team. We must help each other without discrimination."

"A year and a half ago, I made bold promises: to settle IBA's debts and build our best future with governance reform, financial integrity and sporting integrity," added President Kremlev.

"We have made huge progress and I am determined to make sure IBA keeps its promises, by implementing the reforms that are now well underway."

"Women's boxing has only been part of IBA events for 21 years. And here we are at a record-breaking IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, where women have taken the top three places in IBA elections," continued President Kremlev.

"With this result, IBA has sent a clear message to the world that women are performing at the highest level both in the ring and outside it as leaders of our sport."