The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made a significant move towards ensuring boxing remains an Olympic sport at the Los Angeles Games in 2028 by officially recognizing a new governing body for the sport.
The IOC board granted provisional recognition on Wednesday to World Boxing, an organization established in 2023 as a successor to the International Boxing Association (IBA), which has faced numerous issues. World Boxing has attracted many former members of the IBA.
According to the IOC, World Boxing demonstrated that 62 percent of boxers who participated in the previous Paris Olympics were associated with its member federations. The IOC also stated that World Boxing has shown a strong commitment to improving governance and implementing appropriate standards.
Gennady Golovkin, the former boxing champion who leads the commission responsible for establishing World Boxing as a reputable organization for Olympic boxing, emphasized the importance of this recognition but noted that there is still much work to be done.
In a statement, Golovkin said that receiving provisional Olympic recognition from the IOC is a crucial achievement and indicates that the sport is heading in the right direction. He added that this decision brings them closer to their primary objective – keeping boxing in the Olympic Games.
The IOC had suspended the IBA in 2019 due to long-standing concerns about governance, financial management, and the integrity of competitions and judging. In 2023, shortly after the formation of World Boxing, the IOC took the rare step of completely excluding the IBA from the Olympic movement.
The IOC organized the boxing tournaments at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the Paris Games in 2024 itself. However, they stated the necessity of a new partner organization for the 2028 Games.
Since its suspension, the IBA and its Russian president, Umar Kremlev, have been in conflict with the IOC, particularly regarding eligibility rules for women boxers at the Paris Olympics, focusing on gold medalists Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting.
This month, the IBA announced plans to file criminal complaints against the IOC in the United States, France, and Switzerland.
GB Boxing Welcomes IOC Provisional Recognition of World Boxing
GB Boxing Performance Director Rob McCracken and Olympic medalists Lauren Price and Cindy Ngamba responded positively to the news on Thursday, considering the decision a step forward for Olympic boxing.
McCracken stated that this is very positive news for all boxers in their team and a significant step for Olympic boxing. He mentioned that GB Boxing has maintained a positive outlook, recognizing the good work of World Boxing, and is pleased with the IOC’s provisional recognition of it as the international federation for the sport.
He added that this recognition would greatly encourage the boxers in their team and everyone associated with their World Class Programme, indicating progress in ensuring boxing’s place in the Olympic Games.
Price shared that competing in the Olympics was always her dream, and winning gold at Tokyo 2020 remains her top achievement, surpassing any professional accomplishments.
She emphasized that her Olympic gold medal provided her with a platform for a successful professional boxing career. Denying aspiring boxers this opportunity would be detrimental to their careers and the sport.
Ngamba highlighted that competing for the Refugee Team at Paris 2024 transformed her career and life, demonstrating the importance of Olympic participation for boxers.
She mentioned that the prospect of competing in the Olympics motivated her during challenging times and inspired her boxing career. She concluded that preventing male and female boxers worldwide from having this opportunity would be very damaging, making the IOC’s provisional recognition of World Boxing good news for keeping the Olympic dream alive for the sport.
