Manny Pacquiao joins former Olympic boxing body

Former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao has become vice president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the body barred from organising the sport at the Olympics said on Monday.

The 46-year-old Filipino, one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in boxing history, will work alongside Kremlin-linked President Umar Kremlev to develop athlete-first programmes to expand athlete opportunities.

The body was previously known as Amateur International Boxing Association and ran the sport at the Olympics. After repeated warnings over financial, governance and ethical concerns the International Olympic Committee severed links with AIBA ahead of the Tokyo Games in 2021.

At the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the competition will be run by World Boxing.

In an IBA press release after a meeting in Manila, Pacquiao praised Kremlev's "visionary leadership".

"The IBA has entered a Golden Era -- an era where every boxer, from every country, can dream, fight, and succeed on equal terms," Pacquiao said.

"I am proud to join this mission -- to make sure no young boxer is left behind, no champion is forgotten, and no nation is excluded." 

The IBA said Pacquiao would play an active role in advancing the organisation's mission and values. 

"I will dedicate myself to building bridges -- between amateurs and professionals, between East and West, between generations and cultures," he said.

Pacquiao rose from a teenage street vendor to one of the greatest boxers of all time, spinning his fame into careers in politics and even singing.