Kellie Harrington in the Frame for Exciting New AIBA Role

Kellie Harrington is one of 27 candidates on the shortlist for the new International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) Athletes Committee.

The group will be comprised of 10 people, with the elected chair and vice-chair becoming voting members on the AIBA Board – and it’s makeup will be announced after the Women’s World Championships in Istanbul in December.

A male and female representative from each of the five continental bodies is to be elected and the 10 will be tasked with providing a link between amateur fighters and the AIBA top brass.

All voting will be done by secret ballot and those who are elected will remain in their positions until the 2025 World Championships.

“One of the tasks of the new members of the Committee will be working with and supporting AIBA’s mission to develop and promote the sport of boxing everywhere,” said AIBA President Umar Kremlev.

“Considering the challenges we are overcoming at the moment, we truly need people who are ready to fight for a brighter future of our beloved sport and who can fight better than boxers themselves?

“At AIBA, we value everyone’s input in our reforms.

“In the end, all of our work is on behalf of boxers and those who support them.

“So it is vital for us to hear what the boxers have to say.

“I sincerely look forward to meeting the new members of the Athletes Committee and starting working with them.”

Olympic gold medal winner, Harrington has been short-listed alongside Belarus’ Yulia Apanasovich, Irma Testa of Italy, Ani Hovsepyan of Armenia, Bulgarian Stanimira Petrova, and Turkish pair Busenaz Surmeneli and Buse Naz Cakiroglu are on the female shortlist.

India’s Lovlina Borgohain and North Korean Pang Chol Mih are vying for the Asia female representative spot.

Eswatini’s Thabiso Selby Dlamini is set to be elected as the male African representative, joined by female representative Bel Ahbib Oumayma of Morocco.

Brazil’s Abner Teixeira is the sole eligible representative from the Americas and is expected to be the male representative.

The Oceania Boxing Confederation is set to be represented by Ato Faogali of Samoa and Australia’s Caitlin Parker.

There are 14 candidates for the European Boxing Confederation positions.

On the male shortlist is Sofiane Oumiha of France, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Kyzhniak, Uladjislav Smiahlikau of Belarus, Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine of Italy, Spain’s Gabriel Escobar Mascunano, Armenian Hovhannes Bachkov and Adam Hamori of Hungary.