The future of boxing at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 rests on the shoulders of national boxing federations, who are being urged to join World Boxing, a newly formed organization. This comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of recognition in 2022 due to its failure to implement reforms on governance and finance.
The IOC has not yet included boxing in the LA 2028 program and has made it clear that the sport’s inclusion depends on the establishment of a trustworthy and reliable international federation. World Boxing, launched in 2023, has emerged as the potential solution, but it currently has only 37 members compared to the IBA’s extensive membership. Despite this, World Boxing’s president Boris van der Vorst expresses confidence in attracting up to 50 members soon.
The IOC president Thomas Bach has emphasized that a decision on boxing’s inclusion in the LA Olympics must be made by 2025. Van der Vorst firmly believes that World Boxing is the only way to ensure boxing’s place in the upcoming Olympics, highlighting the organization’s commitment to transparency, strong governance, and fair competition. He calls on national federations to join World Boxing without delay, emphasizing that doing so is crucial for the well-being of their boxers and the future of the sport.
With the Paris Olympics concluding on Saturday, the spotlight now shifts to the crucial decisions that need to be made to safeguard the future of boxing in the Olympic Games. The clock is ticking, and the fate of boxing in LA 2028 rests on the collective action of national federations.
