A small step for the IOC, a big step for the world of boxing. Threatened with eviction from the Olympic program, the discipline saw its horizon clear on Wednesday. The executive board of the International Olympic Committee has indeed granted provisional recognition to World Boxing. A clear encouragement from the IOC as the federation, created in 2023 with the objective of restoring the credibility of boxing within the Olympic movement, has increased its efforts in recent months to demonstrate its legitimacy.
Sports and governance guarantees
Last week, World Boxing announced the integration into its ranks of the national federations of Kosovo, Syria, Hungary, Malawi, Estonia and Switzerland, bringing its membership to 78 nations, from five continents. A good point, highlighted by the IOC in its press release. The IF has strengthened its representativeness by demonstrating that 62% of the boxers competing in Paris 2024, and 58% of the medallists, are affiliated with national federations that are members of World Boxing. The body has met other sporting criteria defined by the IOC, namely the application of the integrity process implemented during the 2024 Olympic Games and the validation of its status as a member of the Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sport (AIMS).
The IOC also welcomed World Boxing's work in governance, with "a strong will" and an adequate structure, supported by its code of ethics and its policy on conflicts of interest. The IF has also provided guarantees regarding its commercial revenues for the period 2025-2028, recognized the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, obtained the status of signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code and initiated its collaboration with the International Testing Agency (ITA). Progress on the basis of which the IOC has granted it « its provisional recognition as the international federation governing boxing at the world level within the Olympic movement ». A great victory for the organization, created in 2023 to take up the torch of the IBA, set aside by the IOC.
A major step
The future of boxing has been at the heart of the campaign for the IOC presidency in recent weeks. A few days ago, Morinari Watanabe confided to FrancsJeux that World Boxing had achieved "considerable efforts" and believed that boxing should "to be an Olympic sport, both for historical reasons and because of its popularity ». While the IBA multiplies attacks on Thomas Bach, World Boxing is playing the IOC game to the hilt and placing its pawns. With success, therefore. “This is a very important day for everyone involved in boxing in the Olympic Movement. Maintaining boxing’s place in the Olympic Games is absolutely essential for the future of our sport at all levels, and this decision by the IOC brings us one step closer to our goal., underlines World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst. Being part of the Olympic Movement is a privilege and a responsibility, not a right. There is still much work to be done, and everyone is more committed than ever to continue working together and doing everything in our power to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”
Former two-time unified middleweight world champion Gennadiy Golovkin, now chairman of the World Boxing Olympic Commission and president of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, is on the same page: “The provisional Olympic recognition from the IOC shows that our sport is on the right track. There is still a lot to do to achieve all the goals set, so we will not stop there.” Exceed Boxing, FI's newest business partner, also welcomed this news. With this decision, the IOC clearly shows that World Boxing holds all the cards. The coming months will now have to confirm this.
