The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board has recommended the inclusion of boxing in the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics, bringing an end to years of uncertainty over the sport's future in the Games.
The recommendation follows the IOC's provisional recognition of World Boxing in February 2024, a key step toward boxing's re-entry into the Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach expressed confidence that the decision will be approved, stating, “After the provisional recognition of World Boxing in February, we were in the position to take this decision. I am confident the session will approve it.”
The IOC's executive board's recommendation will now be put to a vote at the IOC session in Greece later this week. Given the sport's popularity, boxing's inclusion is expected to pass easily.
Boxing was initially excluded from the LA 2028 Olympic program after the IOC removed the International Boxing Association (IBA) from its official roster in 2023 due to concerns over governance, finance, and refereeing issues. As a result, the IOC has overseen the boxing events at the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.
In response to the IOC's call for a new global boxing body, World Boxing was formed in 2023, now representing over 80 national federations worldwide. The move was seen as a necessary step to address the issues that led to the IBA's suspension, which began in 2019.
Boris van der Vorst, President of World Boxing, praised the IOC's recommendation as an important step for the future of Olympic boxing. "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," he said. He also emphasized the importance of boxing maintaining its place in the Olympic Movement for the sport's global future.
The IOC has set specific requirements for athlete eligibility: only those from national federations that are members of World Boxing at the time of the qualification events for the 2028 Olympics will be eligible to compete. IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell clarified that national federations need to join World Boxing two years before the Games to ensure their athletes can qualify.
The IBA, led by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, faced suspension by the IOC in 2019 due to concerns over its governance and financial management. The IOC's rare decision to strip the IBA of its recognition in 2023 marked a pivotal moment for boxing's Olympic future.
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