Gennadiy Golovkin had to settle for the silver medal in August 2004 in Athens, defeated by the Russian Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov. One of the few losses of his career. This Sunday, however, he was the one who finished with his fist raised. The Kazakhstani became president of World Boxing, without even having to fight, since he was ultimately the only candidate. He succeeds Boris van der Vorst with the mission of continuing the work undertaken by the young international federation, eager to assert its legitimacy within the Olympic Movement.
Charilaos rejected by the independent committee
The World Boxing Congress, held in Rome, was supposed to feature a duel between Golovkin and Marilaos Charilaos. But that was until the final list of candidates was released on Friday. The Greek fighter was eliminated from the equation following the review of his candidacy by the independent review committee. World Boxing did not provide further details, but Charilaos was embroiled in a case that raised questions about his integrityrevealed by SportsIn.
World Boxing's interim secretary general, Mike McAtee, thanked the committee for " his hard work and for having provided a list of very high-level candidates, both in terms of experience and skills and commitment to respecting the principles of integrity, honesty and excellence on which World Boxing is based Golovkin thus needed only a cheer to reach the position he coveted. World Boxing now has a young president (43 years old, ten years younger than his predecessor), who has experience as an amateur and professional boxer, president of the Kazakhstan National Olympic Committee, and president of the World Boxing Olympic Commission.
"A modern, respected and innovative federation"
Gennadiy Golovkin thus begins a three-year term. Ryan O'Shea was elected vice president, while Michael Muller and Tatsuya Nakama joined the executive committee. "It's a privilege to have been elected, but this is just the beginning," Golovkin promised after the Congress. In a recent interview with Francs JeuxHe cited athletes as his priority. We must listen to them, protect them, he says. The goal is to strengthen boxing in preparation for the next Olympic Games. (…) This requires open communication, as well as the participation of athletes and independent voices. "In his manifesto, he also mentioned his desire to expand development programs for young boxers, coaches, and referees on every continent, and to position World Boxing as ' a modern, respected and innovative federation within the Olympic Movement ».
A project that must keep boxing on the right track to ensure its Olympic future. We know we need to convince the IOC, and to do that, we need to present concrete results., he confided to Francs Jeux. As the IOC often reminds us, no sport has a guaranteed place. Each must continue to earn it by protecting athletes, ensuring gender balance, and operating transparently. For boxing, this means demonstrating integrity at every level. I am convinced that if we consistently adhere to these standards, boxing will not only remain on the Olympic program but will also strengthen its role within it. »
