Breakaway Boxing Federation, Aiming for Olympic Inclusion, Reaches 60 Members

The inclusion of boxing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games remains unconfirmed. World Boxing, an international federation that separated from the previous governing body and seeks recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has announced its membership now totals 60. This federation was established in April, following the International Boxing Association (IBA) being divested of its role as the global governing body for boxing in June 2023. The IBA had previously faced suspension in 2019. On December 12, World Boxing granted approval to the national federations representing Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Jordan, Myanmar, and Palestine. Boris van der Vorst, president of World Boxing, stated: “World Boxing has achieved an enormous amount in the last 12 months and to approach the end of the year with 60 members is a fantastic achievement and conclusive evidence of the widespread desire for change that exists in international boxing.” He further added: “The decision of so many national federations to join World Boxing is a sign of the critical importance of remaining part of the Olympic movement to the future health and stability of our sport and a recognition that this can only be achieved by countries joining and supporting World Boxing.” World Boxing indicated that its new members successfully navigated a “rigorous application process.” According to World Boxing, these new members’ “statutes and operating processes, are able to demonstrate: a transparent and open election process; the existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes; a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process; a solid national and international boxing sports programme; and formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport.” Great Britain joined World Boxing as a member in April 2023. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) took charge of organizing boxing events at the last two Olympic Games, held in Tokyo and Paris. For several years, the Russian-led IBA and the IOC have been in disagreement, stemming from concerns regarding the IBA’s financial management and ethical standards. Following the revocation of its governing status over the sport, the IBA initiated an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas). Cas dismissed this appeal, citing the IBA’s failure to implement sufficient changes in areas such as financial transparency, the integrity of its officials, and its overall culture.