World Boxing has surpassed the landmark of 100 members after its Executive Board approved the applications of 17 National Federations, to take its total to 106 countries.
The latest cohort of countries to join World Boxing features some of the most famous and successful countries in Olympic-style boxing and includes Cuba, which has won 41 gold medals in the ring in 16 Games since it first competed at Rome 1960. Cuba is joined by Ireland, where boxing is by far the country’s most successful Olympic sport and accounts for 19 of the 42 medals it has won since 1924.
It means that (with the exception of Russia and the Soviet Union) World Boxing’s membership now includes the 10 most successful countries of all time in Olympic boxing and 10 of the top 11 medal winning countries from Paris 2024.
The full list of the National Federations that have had their applications approved is is:
- Afghanistan National Boxing Federation
- Austrian Boxing Federation
- The Boxing Federation of Azerbaijan
- Chilean Boxing Federation
- Columbia Boxing Federation
- Cuban Boxing Federation
- Irish Athletic Boxing Association
- Hong Kong Boxing Federation
- Lebanese Boxing Federation
- Federacion Mexicana De Boxeo
- Macao Boxing Federation
- Mauritius Boxing Federation
- Royal Spanish Boxing Federation
- Saudi Boxing Federation
- Uganda Boxing Federation
- United Arab Emirates Boxing Federation
- Venezuela Boxing Federation
The 17 National Federations that have had their applications approved are eligible to enter teams into the World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool, 4-14 September 2025.
The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “To have surpassed the landmark of 100 National Federations in just over two years is a massive achievement and I would like to thank all of my colleagues and every one of our members for their support and their commitment to ensuring that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.
“Our membership includes the vast majority of the world’s most successful countries in Olympic boxing. To be able to announce a name like Cuba, which is synonomous with Olympic boxing, at the same time as a country like Saudi Arabia, that has huge ambitions within the sport, is a resounding endorsement of World Boxing and clear evidence of the confidence that National Federations across the globe have in our ability to develop and grow the sport at all levels.”
The Chief Executive of the Saudi Boxing Federation, Mansour Naif Alsharif, added: “Joining World Boxing marks, a significant step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to elevate boxing nationally and internationally. We are committed to the Olympic movement and believe this partnership will help develop our athletes, align with global standards, and position the Kingdom as a rising force in the sport.”
The Chair of the IABA Board of Directors, Niall O’Carroll, commented: This is a watershed moment for Irish Boxing. Every kid in every boxing club in the Association deserves the Olympic dream – and their clubs have made sure that dream can live on, to LA 2028 and beyond, by voting to join World Boxing. Irish Boxing has always valued our Olympic journey – from our first team of 9 boxers at Paris 1924, to winning 19 medals over the last 100 years and maintaining our standing as Team Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport. We have more Olympic podiums to climb, and more medals to win. Our joining of World Boxing today ensures that.”
All of the new National Federations have completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing. They are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, able to demonstrate a transparent and open election process, the existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes, evidence of independent, structured, dispute resolution and appeals processes, formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport and a solid national and international boxing programme.
Under World Boxing’s Statutes, the approval of the Executive Board means the17 new National Federations have been endorsed for membership. Final approval of membership status can only be conferred by Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing, and will be voted on at its next Congress which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi in November 2025.
World Boxing was launched in April 2023 with a mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It held its first formal meeting with the IOC in May 2024 and on 25 February 2025, it was granted provisional recognition by the IOC as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level. On 20 March 2025, the IOC confirmed that boxing has been restored to the sport programme for LA28.