Usually when you learn that sport's long-in-the-tooth heads of state are declining to abdicate gracefully it's a head-in-the-hands groaning situation. Sepp Blatter is a case in point. He steadfastly refuses to hang up his blazer, clinging on to power at his FIFA fiefdom with much of the football world silently mouthing: "For God's sake go! Give someone else a chance."

But no. The Swiss septuagenarian has declared that he will stand for a fifth term of office, which surely means more of the same suaveness and subterfuge for another four years.

So it is with many other sports leaders, who, unlike United States or International Olympic Committee (IOC) Presidents do not have a fixed term in which they must do their job and bow out for better or worse. Instead the old buffers outstay their welcome, frustrating those with the youth, ambition and talent to impose fresh ideas.

Yet there can be the odd exception. And one of them I believe, Dr CK Wu, who, as insidethegames has revealed, is to stand for a third term as President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).

Now it may surprise you to hear that this is something I heartily applaud. For one good reason. There is no-one better-equipped to continue the reformist work of the 67-year-old Taiwanese architect who has  successfully spruced up a sport which not so long ago was in danger of being ko'd from the Games programme because of a prevailing undercurrent of corruption and sleaze.

AIBA President CK Wu is best equipped to press on with reforming the organisation ©AFP/Getty Images



Yes, I have disagreed vehemently here with Dr Wu on occasions, most notably over his frankly unattainable desire to become the pooh-bah of boxing, bringing even the professional side of the sport into his domain.

I said it could never happen and I believe Dr Wu privately now realises that too. It remains an impossible dream

Instead he now seems wisely to be concentrating on continuing to modernise and "professionalise" what used to be among the most intransigently archaic of sports, the last in the Olympic Movement to actually remove the word "amateur" as a prefix.

Since taking over in 2006 from Pakistan's Anwar Chowdhry, subsequently barred for life by AIBA, he has done an outstanding job, culminating in the formation of two major entities, the international city-franchised, World Series Boxing and soon-to-be launched AIBA Pro Boxing, tournaments in which boxers fight as professionals (i.e. they get paid purse money) while being allowed to retain eligibility to take part in the Olympics.

There is no doubt that Dr Wu once envisaged that this might be a body blow to the real world of professional boxing by encouraging a move under one umbrella. But this has not proved remotely possible.

There is no way AIBA can logically embrace the likes of mega-promoters like Don King, Biob Arum, Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn or fighters including Floyd Mayweather Jnr or Wladimir Klitschko; nor is it feasible they would ever financially or administratively oversee huge promotions such as the record-busting return between Carl Froch and George Groves at Wembley, or have world class pros (e.g. Klitschko and Manny Pacquiao) fighting in an Olympic tournament against comparative novices.

That's pugilistic pie in the sky. Not only unfair but dangerously unhealthy.

Nor, despite the appointment of high-flyer David Gough (ex-IMG and Coca-Cola) as chief executive for its new global marketing company, the Boxing Marketing Arm, will AIBA be able to offer the sort of riches that lured away the two outstanding 2012 Olympic champions, British super-heavyweight Anthony Joshua and Ukraine's Vasyl Lomachenko, now world champion in only his third pro fight.

No, Dr Wu and his cornermen surely will concentrate on what they do best - re-invigorating and enhancing their own brand of the noble art as an attractive spectacle for fighters and fans alike.

The introduction of women's boxing to the Olympic Games is among CK Wu's greatest achievements ©AFP/Getty Images



Among the most welcome reforms already introduced under the aegis of Dr Wu is the admission of women into the Olympic and World Championship boxing ring, something for which I have long campaigned. The debut of female fighters was one of the high points of London 2012, with the effervescent Nicola Adams becoming the first Olympic gold medallist among the ladies who punch, and subsequently a national icon.

Dr Wu says AIBA's immediate task is to find a way of giving even greater equality to women by opening up more weight categories in which they can compete at Olympic level.

Currently there is provision only for flyweight, lightweight and middleweight. Dr Wu acknowledges that this will not be easy because there would be resistance to sacrificing some of the men's divisions to accommodate more women.

But as an IOC Executive Board member and former Presidential candidate, he can be influential in any re-examination of Olympic quotas across the board in all sports to keep numbers within IOC limits.

Another plus for Dr Wu is that under his aegis there hasn't been a doping scandal or a serious injury in Olympic boxing, now well and truly cemented in the Games programme.

Scandalously biased - and occasionally bent - judging is now far less likely to cause controversy under a rigorous supervisory system. And the adopted 10 points per round pro-style scoring, and refereeing that is far less fussy, with bouts no longer stopped at the first hint of a nosebleed, are welcome innovations.

The jury may still be out on the removal of headguards for men (keeping them for women suggests fear of a reaction to seeing feminine facial damage), but I am personally in favour as there is no conclusive evidence that they prevent eye or head injuries to any great extent.

It seems appropriate in view of his pioneering encouragement of women's boxing that Dr Wu should be up for re-election at the AIBA Congress being held alongside the women's world championships in Jeju Island, South Korea, on November 14.

In view of what the doctor has ordered to keep the sport in such good health, here's wishing him a happy return with the hope he continues to come out fighting.

Alan Hubbard is an award-winning sports columnist for The Independent on Sunday and a former sports editor of The Observer. He has covered a total of 16 Summer and Winter Games, 10 Commonwealth Games, several football World Cups and world title fights from Atlanta to Zaire.