IBA invites Western fighters to World Championships amid Olympic boxing uncertainty

AS the future of Olympic boxing hangs in the balance, some of the amateur code’s most decorated nations have been presented with a crucial decision to make.

After concerns over financial transparency and ethics were raised following the Summer Games in 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has since organised its own boxing events.

This is because, as a result of such concerns, the IOC no longer recognises the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the governing body of Olympic boxing.

So now, with the IBA having its status stripped back in 2023, World Boxing has emerged as a new breakaway organisation that looks to restore the sport’s reputation.

As things stand, boxing will not appear at the LA Games in 2028, though World Boxing has appointed middleweight legend Gennady Golovkin as the chair of its Olympic Commission in a bid to change the IOC’s stance.

Since its inception, the body’s membership has grown to 60 National Federations, with GB Boxing and USA Boxing being among those that have split from the IBA.

By joining World Boxing, fighters from these nations have, in turn, bolstered their chances of competing at future Olympic Games.

After cutting ties with the IBA, though, they have also missed out on several opportunities to accelerate their progression in the sport.

The IBA, after all, still organises many of amateur boxing’s most prestigious events, including the Women’s Boxing World Championships which, this year, will be held in Niš, Serbia, from March 8-16.

And regardless of GB Boxing and USA Boxing’s departures, IBA Secretary General and CEO Chris Roberts has encouraged National Federations from the West to enter his competitions.

“Our World Championships are open to anyone,” Roberts told Boxing News.

 “For us, we see England, Scotland and Wales [separate National Federations to GB Boxing] competing in our events, so hopefully we’ll see entries from those three nations [at the World Championships].

“As far as the USA is concerned, we do have a new National Federation [separate to USA Boxing] over there. Hopefully we’ll see some entries coming in from the West… Let’s see.

“We hope that, come March-April time, we’ll start seeing some benefit for the IBA moving forward through 2025.”