The disciplinary procedure, initiated on February 24, was based on a submission from the AIBA Executive Committee bureau and related to a DBA-organised competition in April last year which involved amateur and professional boxers, as well as kick boxers, competing without the use of head guards or vests.

The competition took place in spite of a warning from AIBA.

The DBA said the Final Four was organised as a pilot event and they were not aware of any warning.

The DBA has been sanctioned with a fine of 2,000 Swiss francs (£1,356/$2,180), plus 1,000 Swiss francs (£678/$1,090) costs, but will be allowed to compete in AIBA competitions once again now the provisional suspension has been lifted.

The disciplinary commission concluded that: "Under these circumstances, suspending all boxers, coaches and officials of a national association for the behaviour of some persons would be grossly disproportionate and a fine shall be imposed, being the adequate sanction."

The DBA believed the Final Four initiative was in line with developments within AIBA, based on the existence of the World Series of Boxing (WSB), but the DBA Board admitted in the letter to AIBA that they had made a major mistake in their judgements.

The Dutch Olympic Committee told AIBA's President, C K Wu, it had had to intervene and install a new Board at the DBA, and new members were not fully aware of the rules.

The warning regarding the Final Four had been sent to the previous DBA President who had only shared the information with selected persons.

The Board was therefore unaware of the warning and, on behalf of the Dutch boxing family, the National Olympic Committee apologised for the trouble caused.

AIBA has also asked the President of the Dutch Olympic Committee to meet with the AIBA President to discuss the situation of boxing in the Netherlands and in particular with regard to the DBA.

In a submission on March 7 the DBA fully recognised that "it has committed a serious violation of the AIBA technical and competition rules and ethics code" but measures have since been taken to ensure that such problems will not occur in future.

The Final Four event was cancelled once the new Board was made aware of the problems created by such an event and the DBA have taken measures to be able, in the future, to fully respect the AIBA regulations and decisions.

Despite the DBA escaping major punishment, the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) are still under investigation from AIBA with regard to their participation in the attempts to postpone the 2010 AIBA Congress in Almaty last October.

Former ABAE chief executive Paul King is believed to have spearheaded the moves against AIBA after a failed challenge for presidency of the organisation but withdrew his application to become permanent chief executive earlier this month.

It left the ABAE hopeful they will escape punishment as King never had the approval of the ABAE Board to act as he did.

As well as the ABAE, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Lao, Macedonia, Nepal, Romania, Thailand, Timor Leste and Ukraine are under investigation as part of the same procedure but the ABAE are said to have provided AIBA with evidence that King was acting independently.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]