Has boxing saved its place in the Olympic program? Will it finally be present at the Los Angeles 2028 Games? Patience. The answer remains very uncertain.
But Monday, November 4, 2024 may prove decisive for the future of the discipline in the Olympic movement. Decisive in a good way.
In the space of a few hours, two announcements have further strengthened World Boxing, the new boxing body, created in April 2023 as an alternative to the IBA. Through a domino effect, they strengthen its chances of obtaining recognition from the IOC, a crucial step in ensuring the future of boxing at the Summer Games.
The first news came from the United States. Meeting in Colorado the day after the end of the youth world championships (U19), the second annual congress of World Boxing validated the affiliation of four new countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala and Laos. Four new members from three continents, the first two of which seemed to be loyal allies of the IBA. Always good to take.
With these new entrants, the body chaired by the Dutchman Boris van der Vorst now has 55 national member federations. It is progressing at a good pace, with now 13 countries in Asia.
Above all, World Boxing has brought back into its net a major Olympic boxing country: Uzbekistan. At the Paris 2024 Games, its boxers won five gold medals, all in the men's category, out of the seven awarded in the men's competitions. The country finished top of the medal standings, ahead of China, Taipei and Cuba. A heavyweight, then.
The other news came from France. It was not expected. The French Boxing Federation (FFBoxe) announced in a press release, sent very late on Monday evening, its decision to turn its back on the IBA to join World Boxing. It explains that its board of directors voted its " disaffiliation from the International Boxing Association (IBA) in order to join World Boxing ».
The French body continues: " This decision, motivated by the desire to guarantee French boxing its place at the Olympic Games and to strengthen the stability of the clubs, marks a turning point for the FFBoxe, which is moving forward with determination in this direction. The initiative is based on a letter from David Lappartient, President of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), recalling that, following recent decisions by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), boxing is no longer recognised as an Olympic sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Games."
The FFBoxe recalls that the IOC has asked the national Olympic committees to no longer recognize the national boxing federations still affiliated with the IBA. It explains that the decision of its board of directors will be submitted for validation to the general assembly, which will meet on December 14. The representatives of the regional committees and clubs will also be able to have their say.
As a reminder, the FFBoxe board of directors had already debated, last month, the question of a possible departure from the IBA and membership in World Boxing. But its elected representatives, cautious in their decisions, had preferred to delay. They had decided to wait before choosing their camp, to give themselves time to see the landscape clear up.
Clearly, recent events, with the joining of seven new members within World Boxing last week, have convinced them to step up their pace.
A little over 18 months after its creation, World Boxing now has 56 member countries, including the most successful of the Paris 2024 Games – Uzbekistan –, the host nation of the last Summer Games – France –, and that of the next ones – the United States. The game is not yet won. But the road seems less uncertain.
