World Boxing insist they have ‘pathway’ to save Olympic boxing

WORLD BOXING insist they have a ‘pathway’ to ensure that boxing is included in the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028.

At present, boxing will not be taking place at the next Games due to the ongoing feud between the International Olympic Committee and the International Boxing Association, formerly AIBA.

IBA were permanently stripped of their Olympic credentials by the IOC last year due to what has been described as ‘governance issues’ and allegations of corruption.

The IOC themselves have organised the competition at Tokyo 2020 and now Paris 2024 but they will not be doing it again in 2028 and have challenged a new organisation to prove themselves worthy of taking up the mantle.

The newly formed World Boxing believe they are capable of doing so and their president Boris van der Vorst has now revealed that a number of national federations have completed their membership applications over the course of the Paris Olympics.

Van der Vorst, who was controversially unsuccessful in his attempt to become IBA president in 2022, also insists that any national federation must join World Boxing if they wish to compete at the Olympics.

He said: “World Boxing has established relations with the IOC, following a meeting in May 2024, and World Boxing has developed a pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored to the programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

“This pathway is dependent upon national federations, and the IOC has made it clear that any country that wants to see their boxers have the opportunity to compete at a future Olympic Games needs to take immediate steps to join World Boxing.

“This is the only course of action that will ensure that Paris 2024 is not the last time we see boxing at the Olympic Games. We cannot allow boxing to exit the Olympic stage, and I invite every national federation that cares about their boxers and the future of the sport to take immediate steps to join World Boxing now and work with us to deliver a better future for the sport and ensure that boxing continues to remain at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”

On membership numbers, he added: “Since it expelled the previous international federation, the IOC has made it abundantly clear that the only way that boxing will be restored to the programme for Los Angeles 2028 is if it has a trusted and reliable International Federation to work with that has support of the National Federations.

“World Boxing is that international federation. And we are committed to creating a sustainable and inclusive sporting structure – underpinned by strong governance and transparent financial management – where all boxers can compete and excel knowing that the integrity of the sport is guaranteed and competition is fair.

“Coming into the Games, World Boxing was established as a credible organisation with 37 member national federations covering every Continent that participates in boxing.

“In the course of the tournament we have received several completed membership applications from national federations to join World Boxing and, following my conversations with numerous boxing leaders from across the world over the last two weeks in Paris, I am very confident that we will soon have more than 50 members, as the leaders of many national federations have assured me that they will apply to join World Boxing once this tournament is completed.”