The International Olympic Committee is moving forward with its plan to separate Olympic boxing from the International Boxing Association, with which it has a long history of clashes. Last September, the IOC notified National Federations that those who maintained their registration with the IBA would not be allowed to participate in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Furthermore, in 2023, the IOC withdrew its recognition of the organization.
In parallel, the World Boxing organization was created, aligning with the IOC’s vision. By October, it had 44 affiliated countries, and today that number has grown to 78 National Federations from the five associated continents, with four continental confederations. According to the IOC, this represents 62% of boxers and 58% of boxing medalists in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, who are affiliated with national federations that are members of World Boxing.
The IOC has announced its recognition of World Boxing as the International Boxing Federation. The Olympic organization notes that World Boxing applies the sports integrity process implemented during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and has met the governance criteria adopted by the IOC. Additionally, World Boxing has provided guarantees regarding its income generation process, recognized the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and signed the World Anti-Doping Code.
As a result, “World Boxing has continued to progress in the identified areas of consideration to be recommended for provisional recognition by the IOC as the federation within the Olympic movement that governs the sport of boxing worldwide.”
For now, the Spanish Boxing Federation remains affiliated with the IBA. This development marks a significant shift in the Olympic boxing landscape, with the IOC taking steps to establish a new governing body for the sport. The recognition of World Boxing as the International Boxing Federation will likely have far-reaching implications for the sport, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the lead-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
