The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has voted unanimously to reinstate boxing as part of the program for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The announcement, made at the ongoing IOC session in Greece, marks a crucial turnaround for the sport, which was initially excluded from the schedule announced in 2022.
The decision comes after the IOC granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, the newly formed global governing body for the sport, last month.
This move effectively sidelines the International Boxing Association (IBA), which has been plagued by governance, financial, refereeing, and ethical issues, leading to its suspension in 2019 and subsequent stripping of status in June 2023.
Outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach expressed his satisfaction with the decision, stating, “I thank you for the approval of having boxing back. We can look forward to a great boxing tournament.”
Boxing boasts a long and storied Olympic history, having featured at every Games since 1904, with the exception of 1912. However, the IOC has been forced to take control of the sport’s organization at the past two Olympics due to the IBA’s ongoing issues.
The tensions between the IOC and the IBA were evident during last year’s Paris Olympics, where disagreements arose over the participation of two boxers, Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting. Despite the IBA banning the fighters over alleged gender eligibility test failures, the IOC allowed them to compete, and both went on to win gold medals.
World Boxing, established in April 2023, has rapidly gained traction, now boasting 84 member federations across five continents, including Great Britain.
“This is a great day for boxers, boxing and everyone connected with our sport at every level across the world,” said World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst. He emphasized the organization’s commitment to upholding the values of the Olympic Movement, stating, “World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Games is a privilege and not a right and we are determined to be a trustworthy and reliable partner that will adhere to and uphold the values of the Olympic Movement.”
The IOC has set a clear condition for participation in the Los Angeles Games: only athletes whose national federations are members of World Boxing by the time the qualification events commence will be eligible to compete. The dates for this qualification period are yet to be finalized.
