Boxing is ‘one step closer’ to being included in the 2028 Olympics

World Boxing has been given provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee as the sport’s global governing body. 

Currently, boxing is not part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, and creating a new governing body was the main challenge for getting the sport back in the Games. 

The IOC oversaw boxing in the last two Olympics after the International Boxing Association (IBA) was suspended in 2019 due to issues related to governance, finances, refereeing, and ethics. Moreover, the IBA, which was led by Russia, lost its status as the sport’s governing body for not making required changes in June 2023. 

Established in April 2023, World Boxing has since grown to include 78 members across five continents, with Great Britain being one of the countries involved. 

In a statement, the IOC declared: “The [IOC] assessment concluded that World Boxing has continued to make progress regarding the identified areas of consideration.” 

The IOC also said that World Boxing met key criteria for provisional recognition, including having enough members from five continents. It has also followed the sports integrity rules for Paris 2024, with independent oversight, good governance, and a commitment to the World Anti-Doping Code. 

Boris van der Vorst, president of World Boxing, welcomed the decision stating: “Keeping its place at the Olympic Games is absolutely critical to the future of our sport at every level, from the grassroots to the highest echelons of professional boxing, and this decision by the IOC takes us one step closer to our objective of seeing boxing restored to the Olympic programme.” 

He added: “[It] is an important milestone, however, everyone connected with World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic movement is a privilege and a responsibility and not a right. There is still a lot of work to do, and everyone is as committed as ever to continuing to work together and doing everything within our power to deliver a better future for our sport and ensuring that boxing remains at heart of the Olympic movement.”