We, the undersigned, are outraged by the unfair and unsubstantiated disqualification of Ali Mazaheri in his boxing match against Cuba’s Jose Larduet Gomez (1st August 2012), at the London Olympic Games 2012. We demand a rematch and the immediate expulsion by the IOC and AIBA of the referee responsible – Frank Scharmach – for his disgraceful conduct and the destruction of Ali Mazaheri’s sporting dream.
“It was a fix… It was a set up… I’ve never seen anything like it in my life” – Ali Mazaheri
Ali’s claims are not without foundation. The world of boxing is no stranger to match fixing: in September 2011, the BBC uncovered WSB America’s plans to guarantee Azerbaijan two gold medals in the 2012 Olympics, in return for £5.9m.
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On 2nd August 2012, AIBA suspended Frank Scharmach for five days for his decision to disqualify Ali. This is unacceptable. Try comparing that to the four years (at least) of Ali’s life that were dedicated to preparation for the Olympic Games. Due to Ali’s age, it is unlikely that he will ever be able to participate in the Olympic Games again.
We, therefore, must not allow one rogue referee to shatter Ali’s dream. We cannot allow his hard work to have gone to waste at the hands of the incompetent Frank Scharmach. People like Scharmach have no place in the Olympic Games.
To AIBA: five days is a mockery – it is simply not enough. We demand no less than a rematch – reverse Scharmach’s decision immediately and give Ali back his dream.
There are currently 1294 signatures for this petition: