IOC Board approves boxing for inclusion in 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games

Costa Navarino: Boxing is set to be included in the programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) executive board approved its inclusion ahead of its 144th session starting Tuesday.

The decision follows the IOC's granting of provisional recognition to World Boxing last month, effectively sidelining the International Boxing Association (IBA) and transferring authority to the new governing body.

The March 18-21 IOC Session, which will also elect a new president to succeed Thomas Bach, is expected to ratify the executive board's decision for inclusion of boxing in the 2028 LA Games roster.

"After the provisional recognition of world boxing in February, then we were in the position to take this decision so that ... this recommendation of course has to go to the session," Bach said after the executive board meeting.

"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 L.A. 2028 if their national federation is recognised by world boxing."

The IOC has overseen the boxing competitions at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games after it derecognized the IBA in 2023 due to a prolonged dispute over governance issues and concerns regarding the integrity of bouts.

Welcoming the decision, World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst, said: "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."

Boxing was not included on the 2028 LA Games initial sports programme approved by the IOC Session in February 2022 because of the ongoing concerns around the then international federation, the International Boxing Association (IBA).

Following the withdrawal of the IBA’s recognition on June 22, 2023, the inclusion of boxing on the 2028 LA Games sports programme remained on hold.

The Paris 2024 boxing competition and its qualifying tournaments were organised under the authority of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit, an ad hoc task force created by the IOC EB. This decision was taken in order to protect athlete participation at the Olympic Games and deliver a clear, fair and transparent pathway for boxers to qualify, ensuring a fair and just competition.

Last year, the IOC made it clear that national boxing federations had to reach a consensus around a new international federation in order for boxing to be included on the sports programme of the 2028 Olympic Games.

Following an assessment of the various criteria regarding governance and sports integrity, the IOC Executive Board on February 26 decided to provisionally recognise World Boxing, which is currently composed of 84 national federations over the five continents.