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World Boxing hits 75-member mark for Olympic recognition
The fight for boxing's soul is not about to end.
What you need to know:
Kosovo, Syria, Hungary, Malawi, Estonia and Switzerland—which was suspended by IBA—are the latest entries approved, according to a February 18 letter received by our reporter.
World Boxing, a breakaway faction that seeks to replace the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the new international governing body for Olympic boxing now boasts 78 member federations, surpassing the minimum requirement of 75 members for Olympic inclusion.
Kosovo, Syria, Hungary, Malawi, Estonia and Switzerland—which was suspended by IBA—are the latest entries approved, according to a February 18 letter received by our reporter.
World Boxing was created in April 2023, two months before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) expelled IBA from the Olympic Movement. The IOC managed the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic boxing tournaments but said it won’t play the role in Los Angeles 2028. It said it welcomes a different governing body with the integrity and transparency that IBA lacks. WB presented itself as that “new clean body.”
But it struggled to win over national federations and confederations which had for decades been affiliated to IBA, the only amateur governing body since 1946. Until November 2024, for instance, WB only had 44 members but the last three months have been the most fruitful with 34 new entries, a giant leap towards winning the coveted Olympic ticket.
“It is a particular pleasure to welcome Hungary as our 75th member as this means that World Boxing has achieved one of the widely established criteria for a sport to be included in the Olympic Games,” said World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst in the letter.
“This is very positive news for everyone involved with boxing, at all levels throughout the world, and I would like to thank all of our member National Federations for their steadfast support and commitment to delivering a better future for boxers and everyone associated with our sport.
“We are continuing to receive applications from National Federations across the globe that want to be part of World Boxing, and I urge all boxing leaders that want to ensure their boxers have the opportunity to compete at a future Olympic Games to do the same and apply to join World Boxing.”
Malawi has become the sixth African member federation to join World Boxing (WB). It is, however, unclear whether the IBA’s December decision to allow members to join WB without losing IBA membership has accelerated this exodus.
IOC vs IBA SERIES
2016: IOC forces IBA to suspend Rio 2016 ring officials
2019: IOC suspends IBA over finances and ethics
June 2022: IOC announces IBA won’t manage the Paris 2024 boxing pathway
April 2023: USA and co. create World Boxing
June 2023: IOC expels IBA from Olympic Movement
December 2023: IBA bans dual membership of federations
April 2024: CAS dismisses IBA appeal against IOC dismissal
May 2024: IOC meets World Boxing
September 2024: Swiss federal court rejects IBA’s appeal vs CAS
December 2024: IBA amends constitution to allow dual membership
January 2025: IBA asks Trump to intervene
February 2025: IBA threatens legal action vs IOC for transgender box
February 2025: World Boxing hits 75-member mark
