IOC tells national federations to create new governing body to secure boxing’s Olympic future

PTI, Mar 20, 2024, 1:47 PM IST

The IOC has reiterated its threat to leave boxing out of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if national federations continue to align themselves with the suspended International Boxing Association (IBA), casting fresh doubts on the crisis-hit sport’s future at the quadrennial showpiece.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had de-recognised the IBA in 2019 over long-standing financial, sports integrity, and governance issues. Boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics is set to be overseen by the IOC.

It will be the second successive time, after the Tokyo Olympics, that the IBA will have no involvement in bouts at the mega-event.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday following the IOC Executive Board meeting, IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell said boxing is still ”on hold” for the 2028 Olympics.

”Following the decision by the IOC Session last year, the inclusion of boxing in the LA28 Olympic programme is on hold and not confirmed,” McConnell said.

”If there is no boxing body supported and driven by the National Federations, we will not be in a position to include boxing in the Olympic programme,” he added.

The IOC put the onus on the national federations to step away from the IBA, led by Russian Umar Kremlev, and create a new world governing body to secure boxing’s future in the sport. Boxing has been a part of every Olympics since 1920.

”So it’s now up to the National Federations to drive this change and to work to create a body that we can work in partnership with, because we cannot move forward with this current situation,” McConnell said.

The Olympic qualifiers for the Paris Games are being organised under the authority of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU), an ad-hoc panel created by the IOC Executive Board.

”The IOC EB made it clear, once again, that this must be the last time that such a process undertaken by the IOC,” McConnell added.

The IOC also reiterated that even if boxing is added to the 2028 Olympic programme, the IBA will not be involved in its organisation.

”The IOC Session in Mumbai in 2023 also made it clear that the IBA will not be involved in the organisation of the boxing tournament at LA28, should boxing be included in the sports programme,” McConnell said.

It is to be noted that last year, a group of national federations, including those of the United States and Britain launched a new organisation — World Boxing — with an aim to secure the long-term future of the sport at the Olympic Games.

The governing body has been seeking recognition from the IOC to represent boxing in the Games.

The IBA had subsequently suspended the national federations of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and the Netherlands for their participation in what the world body called a ”rogue” boxing organisation.

Meanwhile, the IBA has appealed against the IOC’s decision to expel it in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is yet to make a decision.