IOC Provisionally Recognizes New Governing Body "World Boxing"
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has granted provisional recognition to the newly established governing body, World Boxing. This decision marks a significant development for the sport and its administration on an international level.
TroibNews 
On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, marking a significant advancement towards the sport's inclusion in the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
Following the IOC's decision to remove the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the Olympic Movement in 2023 due to its failure to implement necessary governance and financial reforms, the boxing events for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics will be managed by the IOC itself.
Although the IOC has not yet officially added boxing to the program for the 2028 Games, it has urged national boxing federations to establish a new global governing body for the sport, emphasizing that failure to do so could jeopardize Olympic participation in three years.
Established in 2023, World Boxing currently boasts 78 members across five continents.
"The assessment concluded that World Boxing has continued to make progress regarding the identified areas of consideration in order to be recommended for IOC Provisional Recognition as the IF [international federation] within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level," stated the IOC.
The criteria for recognition included having a sufficient number of members from five continents, adherence to the sports integrity process implemented during the Paris Games—complete with independent oversight, good governance structures, and revenue assurances—as well as compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.
The IOC's provisional recognition enables boxing to pursue its goal of remaining part of the Olympic program for 2028, overcoming the primary barrier involving the establishment of a new global organization for the sport.
"This is a very significant day for everyone connected with the sport of boxing in the Olympic movement," remarked World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst. "Keeping its place at the Olympic Games is absolutely critical to the future of our sport at every level ... and this decision by the IOC takes us one step closer to our objective of seeing boxing restored to the Olympic program. 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 the heart of the Olympic Movement."
In 2019, the IOC suspended the IBA, led by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, due to issues related to governance, finance, refereeing, and ethics. The organization was subsequently excluded from overseeing the boxing events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which had been postponed due to the pandemic, and was stripped of its recognition by the IOC in 2023—a highly unusual action.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Following the IOC's decision to remove the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the Olympic Movement in 2023 due to its failure to implement necessary governance and financial reforms, the boxing events for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics will be managed by the IOC itself.
Although the IOC has not yet officially added boxing to the program for the 2028 Games, it has urged national boxing federations to establish a new global governing body for the sport, emphasizing that failure to do so could jeopardize Olympic participation in three years.
Established in 2023, World Boxing currently boasts 78 members across five continents.
"The assessment concluded that World Boxing has continued to make progress regarding the identified areas of consideration in order to be recommended for IOC Provisional Recognition as the IF [international federation] within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level," stated the IOC.
The criteria for recognition included having a sufficient number of members from five continents, adherence to the sports integrity process implemented during the Paris Games—complete with independent oversight, good governance structures, and revenue assurances—as well as compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.
The IOC's provisional recognition enables boxing to pursue its goal of remaining part of the Olympic program for 2028, overcoming the primary barrier involving the establishment of a new global organization for the sport.
"This is a very significant day for everyone connected with the sport of boxing in the Olympic movement," remarked World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst. "Keeping its place at the Olympic Games is absolutely critical to the future of our sport at every level ... and this decision by the IOC takes us one step closer to our objective of seeing boxing restored to the Olympic program. 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 the heart of the Olympic Movement."
In 2019, the IOC suspended the IBA, led by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, due to issues related to governance, finance, refereeing, and ethics. The organization was subsequently excluded from overseeing the boxing events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which had been postponed due to the pandemic, and was stripped of its recognition by the IOC in 2023—a highly unusual action.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
