Breathe in the amateur boxing and in German boxing association: The Olympic future of the sport seems to be secured. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized the new amateur world association World Boxing on Wednesday (February 26, 2025) “For the time being as an international association within the Olympic movement” how the rings organization announced.
The German Boxing Sports Association (DBV) can also look positively into the future. “This is a milestone. All the efforts were worth it”DBV President Jens Hadler was pleased: “That brings calm and planning security.”
IBA has been excluded since June 2023
After the exclusion of the International Boxing Association (IBA) in June 2023, boxing without the Olympic World Association had been there, for Los Angeles 2028 one of the oldest sports at the games had already flown out of the program.
With World Boxing, the IOC now apparently has the “Reliable partner” found that IOC President Thomas Bach for securing the Olympic future up to “early in 2025“Had asked.
Bronze winner Tiafack: Without the Olympics, boxing is dead
World Boxing now belongs to 78 national associations from five continents, the DBV is a founding member. The world association was launched in 2023 against the background of the conflict between the IBA and the IOC.
The IOC suspended the IBA in 2019 that was guided by Russia for serious misconduct and excluded in June 2023. After the IBA was excluded, the Olympic boxing tournament in Tokyo in 2021 and 2024 in Paris from the IOC itself.
Back then, officials and athletes were concerned. “If boxes don’t stay the Olympic, boxing is dead“, the German bronze medalist Nelvie Tiafack in Paris said. Now give the preliminary recognition of World Boxing “The athletes feel good. Most of the path has gone“, says Hadler, who expects a further influx of national associations.
IOC: World Boxing has created important structures
Bach had made it clear in Paris that boxes in Los Angeles would only be in the Olympic program if there was a reliable partner. The IOC was now very satisfied with the development of World Boxing.
In its reasoning, the IOC stated that World Boxing had a sporting point of view “Evidence provides that 62 percent of boxers and 58 percent of boxing medalists belong to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 national associations who are members of World Boxing”.
In addition, the association turns this “Procedure to maintain sporting integrity” and have the “Structure and the documentation for good corporate management”. World Boxing also “Successfully advertised for the status of a signatories of the world anti-doping code”so the IOC.