Olympic boxing handed lifeline as IOC make stance clear on 2028 Los Angeles Games inclusion
Boxing has taken another massive step towards cementing its place as one of the 35 sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended on Monday that boxing should be included in the upcoming summer Olympics. The IOC ran the OlympicsGETTY Boxing was run by the IOC at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Games after the International Boxing Association (IBA) was stripped of its status as the world sanctioning body over governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues. However, the Olympic governing body declared that they would not do the same for a third consecutive tournament. A new body, World Boxing, was then formed to fill the gap. The IOC granted World Boxing provisional recognition last month and now they have gone one step further. “After the provisional recognition of World Boxing in February we were in the position to take this decision so that this recommendation has to go to the session,” IOC President Thomas Bach said at a press conference on Monday afternoon. “I am very confident that the session will approve it so that all the boxers of the world then have certainty that they can participate in the Olympic Games LA 2028 if their national federation is recognised by World Boxing.” The IOC Session will now be brought together to vote to approve the Executive Board’s proposal over the coming days. The president of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, added: “This is a very significant and important decision for Olympic boxing and takes the sport one step closer to being restored to the Olympic programme. “I have no doubt it will be very positively received by everyone connected with boxing, at every level throughout the world, who understands the critical importance to the future of the sport of boxing continuing to remain a part of the Olympic movement. “On behalf of everyone at World Boxing, I would like to thank the EB of the IOC for the trust they have placed in our organisation and we hope for a positive outcome when the IOC Session meets this week. GettyThe IOC executive board has recommended boxing be included at 2028 Games[/caption] “World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Games is a privilege and not a right and I assure the IOC that if boxing is restored to the programme for LA28, that World Boxing is completely committed to being a trustworthy and reliable partner that will adhere to and uphold the values of the Olympic Charter.” The 144th Session of the IOC will take place in Navarino, Greece, from Wednesday to Friday this week (March 19-21). Providing the IOC Session votes to approve the Executive Board’s proposal then boxing will be restored to the competition programme. The IOC has confirmed that only athletes whose national federations are members of World Boxing by the time qualification events get underway will be able to compete in the US. So far the majority of the powerhouse boxing nations including Great Britain and the United States have signed up. The qualification dates are yet to be confirmed. Follow talkBOXING on social media talkBOXING is now on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us on social media for big breaking boxing news, exclusive interviews and the best bits from our talkBOXING YouTube show. Like our Facebook page HERE Follow us on Twitter HERE Sign up for our WhatsApp channel HERE
Boxing has taken another massive step towards cementing its place as one of the 35 sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended on Monday that boxing should be included in the upcoming summer Olympics.
Boxing was run by the IOC at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Games after the International Boxing Association (IBA) was stripped of its status as the world sanctioning body over governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues.
However, the Olympic governing body declared that they would not do the same for a third consecutive tournament.
A new body, World Boxing, was then formed to fill the gap.
The IOC granted World Boxing provisional recognition last month and now they have gone one step further.
“After the provisional recognition of World Boxing in February we were in the position to take this decision so that this recommendation has to go to the session,” IOC President Thomas Bach said at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“I am very confident that the session will approve it so that all the boxers of the world then have certainty that they can participate in the Olympic Games LA 2028 if their national federation is recognised by World Boxing.”
The IOC Session will now be brought together to vote to approve the Executive Board’s proposal over the coming days.
The president of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, added: “This is a very significant and important decision for Olympic boxing and takes the sport one step closer to being restored to the Olympic programme.
“I have no doubt it will be very positively received by everyone connected with boxing, at every level throughout the world, who understands the critical importance to the future of the sport of boxing continuing to remain a part of the Olympic movement.
“On behalf of everyone at World Boxing, I would like to thank the EB of the IOC for the trust they have placed in our organisation and we hope for a positive outcome when the IOC Session meets this week.
“World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Games is a privilege and not a right and I assure the IOC that if boxing is restored to the programme for LA28, that World Boxing is completely committed to being a trustworthy and reliable partner that will adhere to and uphold the values of the Olympic Charter.”
The 144th Session of the IOC will take place in Navarino, Greece, from Wednesday to Friday this week (March 19-21).
Providing the IOC Session votes to approve the Executive Board’s proposal then boxing will be restored to the competition programme.
The IOC has confirmed that only athletes whose national federations are members of World Boxing by the time qualification events get underway will be able to compete in the US.
So far the majority of the powerhouse boxing nations including Great Britain and the United States have signed up.
The qualification dates are yet to be confirmed.
