The Japan Amateur Boxing Federation has responded to allegations of fraud, including the misuse of federal grant money, saying “a lot of” the accusations made by regional federation executives and former boxers are false.

 

On its website late Monday evening, the JABF apologized for disappointing fans, athletes and sports officials following media reports about the complaint against the governing body of amateur boxing filed through the Japanese Olympic Committee.

 

“A lot of the things cited in the document were not true, therefore, what has been reported by the media does not reflect the truth,” the JABF said.

 

According to sources familiar with the matter, the party filing the complaint is a privately formed amateur boxing support group with 333 members, and the letter was sent by mail to the JOC, Japan Sport Agency and Japan Sport Association among other places.

 

There were 12 specific points mentioned in the letter, such as questionable decisions by referees in official matches and lack of transparency in the financial management of the JABF’s Olympic funding.

 

The group is asking that the JABF be investigated and relevant parties penalized.