‘Major Milestone in Boxing’s Fight for Olympic Survival Amidst Ongoing Feud’

The International Olympic Committee has taken a significant stride towards ensuring boxing remains on the schedule for the 2028 Los Angeles Games by officially recognising a new governing authority.

The IOC board has granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, a newly established organisation that emerged in 2023 as a split from the longstanding but problematic International Boxing Association.

The IOC reported that World Boxing accounted for 62 per cent of boxers participating in the Paris Olympics who were affiliated with its members.

Furthermore, the IOC indicated that World Boxing has displayed a “strong willingness and effort in enhancing good governance and meeting the requisite standards”.

Kazakh boxing legend Gennady Golovkin, who leads the commission aimed at positioning World Boxing as a credible body for overseeing Olympic contests, acknowledged that while this was a crucial moment, a considerable amount of work is still ahead.

“Achieving provisional Olympic recognition from the IOC is a significant milestone and indicates that our sport is heading in the right direction,” Golovkin commented.

“This decision moves us closer to our ultimate aim — ensuring boxing’s place at the Olympic Games.”

Boxing Australia applauded the IOC’s decision to provisionally recognise World Boxing, calling it “a vital move in securing the sport’s future within the Olympic framework”.

Australia’s Caitlin Parker, who secured a bronze medal at the Paris Games, remarked that this represents “an exciting milestone for boxing”.

“It rekindles hope for both present and future athletes aiming to compete at the Olympics,” said Parker, who also participated in the Tokyo Olympics.

“The IOC’s recognition of World Boxing is a momentous step forward that keeps the dream for our sport alive.”

The IOC had suspended the IBA in 2019 following prolonged disputes regarding governance, financial issues, and concerns over the integrity of fights and judging, ultimately expelling it from the Olympic movement in 2023, soon after the formation of World Boxing.

The IOC also managed the boxing competitions during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and will do so at the Paris Games, but has expressed the necessity for a new partner in time for 2028.

Since its suspension, the IBA and its president Umar Kremlev from Russia have continued to clash with the IOC, especially regarding the eligibility criteria for women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting each won gold in Paris amidst gender-eligibility debates.

Wide World of Sports was present at North Paris Arena for Khelif’s Olympic quarter-final against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, where Khelif emphasised, “I am a female, and I will remain a female” during intense and passionate exchanges.

The IBA disqualified both Khelif and Lin from the 2023 world championships, citing unsuccessful gender-eligibility tests, though it did not disclose the results.

The IOC subsequently decided that both Khelif and Lin were permitted to compete in Paris, sparking fierce discussions that intensified with each victory.

This month, the IBA announced its intention to file criminal complaints against the IOC in the United States, France, and Switzerland.