Governance

World Boxing and Namibia NOC discuss boxing development and international cooperation

World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin and Secretary General Tom Dielen met with Namibia National Olympic Committee President Dr Ndeulipula Hamutumwa and Chief Executive Officer Anri Parker during the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

The discussion focused on the development of boxing in Namibia and on practical areas where cooperation with World Boxing could be strengthened.

Namibia expressed interest in hosting a future World Boxing international event, with the NOC outlining the country’s ambition to play a more active role in the international boxing calendar.

World Boxing shared plans to expand education and training opportunities for coaches, technical officials and sports administrators, including through online programmes, and encouraged Namibia to make use of these initiatives.

The conversation also looked ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the preparation of Namibian boxers for the international qualification pathway.

Among those discussed was Tryagain Ndevelo, silver medallist at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, who is targeting qualification for LA28. His progress was highlighted as an example of the potential within Namibian boxing.

“It is great to see the commitment from the Namibian NOC, which really values the social impact our sport can have and how boxing can be a life changer, as was clearly shown by Tryagain’s success in Glasgow,” said World Boxing Secretary General Tom Dielen.

“Thanks to this cooperation, he is now preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games with the support of an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship, and we will continue to monitor his progress.”

The Namibian representatives also expressed their support for President Golovkin on behalf of the Namibia Boxing Federation and confidence in the direction of World Boxing under his leadership.

Both sides agreed to continue the dialogue and explore concrete opportunities for cooperation in event hosting, education and athlete development.

World Boxing Enters Next Phase With New Strategic Direction and LA28 Focus

Approved Strategic Plan, 2027 budget and competition calendar set World Boxing’s direction towards LA28 

Budva, Montenegro, 26 October 2026 — The World Boxing Executive Board has approved a Strategic Plan for 2026–2029 and a series of key measures covering financial planning, the international competition calendar, membership and preparations for the World Boxing Congress, as the federation moves into the next phase of its development and towards the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. 

The hybrid meeting was chaired by World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin in Budva, where the World Boxing U19 World Championships are currently taking place, and comes less than a month before the World Boxing Congress in Panama on 20 November. 

At the centre of the meeting was the approval of the World Boxing Strategic Plan 2026–2029, which will guide the federation’s work over the next three years. The plan is structured around four main pillars — Athletes First, Integrity, Innovation, and Financial Stability & Development with safeguarding boxing’s Olympic future running across all areas of the strategy. 

It places particular emphasis on strengthening athlete representation and welfare, improving governance and competition integrity, developing education and technology, and creating a financially sustainable structure capable of supporting member federations and athletes worldwide. 

Among the priorities set out in the plan are the development of an elected Athletes’ Council with continental representation, strengthened safeguarding and athlete welfare programmes, expanded education for athletes, coaches and officials, further development of technology and digital services, and a long-term programme to grow and diversify World Boxing’s revenues. 

World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin said: 

“Seeing so many young athletes competing at the U19 World Championships is a good reminder of what our work is ultimately about. We want to build a strong federation that gives athletes opportunities, protects fair competition and creates the right conditions for boxing to grow in every part of the world. The Strategic Plan gives us a clear direction for the next stage, with athletes at the centre, stronger integrity and governance, more investment in education and development, and a greater use of innovation to improve our sport. But a strategy only matters if we deliver it. The important part now is to turn these priorities into real work and results that athletes and our National Federations can see and feel. We have an important period ahead of us, with Congress, the start of Olympic qualification in 2027 and Los Angeles 2028 getting closer. We know where we want to go, and we need to keep moving forward together.” 

The Executive Board also approved the proposed 2027 budget for submission to Congress, alongside an update on World Boxing’s financial position. The federation has continued to strengthen its financial footing during 2026. The independent statutory examination of World Boxing’s 2025 financial statements noted that the improvement in the organisation’s financial position continued through the first half of 2026 and, based on the interim position at 30 June, World Boxing was no longer over-indebted. 

World Boxing Secretary General Tom Dielen said: 

“We have spent the last few years building World Boxing very quickly. The focus now is on making sure the federation has the systems, financial strength and operational capacity to deliver consistently at the level expected of an International Federation. The progress in our financial position is important, but so is what we do with that stability. The 2027 budget gives us a stronger basis to invest in competitions, athlete and member services, technical development and the qualification pathway to Los Angeles 2028. At the same time, the approved competition calendar gives National Federations much greater visibility of what is coming, while the Strategic Plan gives us a clear framework against which we can measure delivery. Congress in Panama will be another important step. We are putting a number of governance and competition matters before our members, and after that the focus moves very quickly to Astana and the start of Olympic qualification. There is a lot to deliver, but we are entering 2027 from a much stronger position than we were a year ago.” 

The Board also approved the 2027–2028 international competition calendar, providing the framework for World Boxing’s major events during the period leading into LA28 and greater certainty for National Federations as they plan their international programmes. 

The Olympic qualification period will run from 1 April 2027 to 31 May 2028, beginning with the 2027 World Boxing Championships in Astana, where the first 44 athlete quota places for LA28 will be allocated. The pathway will then continue through five Continental Qualification Tournaments in Guiyang, China (Asia); Istanbul, Türkiye, as part of the European Games; Accra, Ghana (Africa); Apia, Samoa (Oceania); and Ontario, California, USA (Pan America), which together will allocate a further 112 quota places. Two World Qualification Tournaments will complete the pathway in 2028, with the first scheduled for Rome, Italy, and the second for Budapest, Hungary, before the qualification period closes on 31 May 2028. 

Preparations for the World Boxing Congress in Panama were another important focus of the meeting. The Executive Board reviewed election-related matters, voting rights and proposed changes that will be presented to the membership. 

Membership growth also continued, with the Executive Board endorsing the Angolan Boxing Federation and the Fédération Burkinabé de Boxe for Membership in 2027, subject to final approval by Congress. The endorsement of the Fédération Burkinabé de Boxe remains subject to the establishment of an independent dispute-resolution mechanism in accordance with World Boxing’s membership requirements. 

The Executive Board also reviewed a range of sporting and organisational matters, including the continued development and performance of Technical Officials, equipment standards and licensing, staff development and World Boxing’s communications approach towards LA28. 

The World Boxing Congress will take place in Panama on 20 November 2026. 

World Boxing Governance Score Rises to 152 in ASOIF Assessment

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World Boxing records significant progress across all five governance areas and exceeds the ASOIF benchmark for Associate and Full Members.

Lausanne, Switzerland – 9 September 2026 – World Boxing has achieved a score of 152 in the new governance assessment conducted by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), representing a significant increase from the 117 score it recorded in March 2026.

The result comfortably exceeds the ASOIF Governance Task Force target of 135 for Associate Members and also surpasses the benchmark of 150 for Full Members. It moves World Boxing from Group C to Group B in the ASOIF governance classification, providing further evidence of the organisation’s improved governance performance.

The new assessment, based on evidence submitted at the end of August, which was moderated by the independent I Trust Sport team, confirmed significant progress across all five areas of the ASOIF governance framework: Transparency, Integrity, Democracy, Development and Sustainability, and Control Mechanisms.

World Boxing’s strongest improvements were recorded in Transparency, which increased from 31 to 42 points, and Control Mechanisms, which rose from 19 to 27. Integrity increased from 23 to 29, Democracy from 32 to 37, and Development and Sustainability from 12 to 17.

World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin said:

“This result is very encouraging because it reflects tangible progress in the way World Boxing is strengthening its governance and institutional framework. In a short period of time, we have advanced in ways that are fundamental to the credibility and operational efficiency of an International Federation. This latest assessment is a clear and independent measure of our progress. The next phase is to build on these foundations, address the areas that still require further development and ensure that the progress achieved is fully embedded across the organisation. This is essential to building a federation that is strong, trusted and equipped for the future, and to reinforcing confidence in World Boxing among athletes, National Federations and the wider Olympic Movement.”

The assessment was based on measures already in place, with no credit given for reforms or activities that had only been proposed or were due to be implemented at a later stage. World Boxing’s self-assessed score of 155 was moderated to 152, a difference of three points, indicating a close alignment between the organisation’s own assessment and the final result.

World Boxing Secretary General Tom Dielen comments on the result of the Assessment:

 “The increase from 117 to 152 reflects a substantial body of work across the organisation and, importantly, progress in every one of the five areas assessed by ASOIF. Many of these improvements are practical, including stronger electoral procedures, clearer governance structures, an operational Ethics Committee, greater transparency, expanded education activity, more structured approach to risk management and continued athlete representation within World Boxing’s decision-making bodies. The assessment also identifies areas where further work is required, that include development funding, environmental reporting, diversity, Para Boxing, financial controls and the continued formalisation of risk-management processes. The 2026 Congress will be an important milestone in strengthening the framework further and embedding these standards into the day-to-day operation of World Boxing”.

World Boxing will use the findings to inform the next phase of its governance work, including preparations for the 2026 Congress and the organisation’s continued development towards Los Angeles 2028. The direction of the governance development is also aligned with the wider strategic priorities of the Olympic Movement. The IOC’s Fit for the Future strategy, endorsed in June 2026, sets a course through to 2032 aimed at ensuring that the Olympic Movement remains strong, relevant and impactful, with a particular emphasis on athletes and the continued strengthening of the Movement.

Olympic Solidarity and World Boxing Partnership Supports Young Athletes on the Road to Dakar 2026

Olympic Solidarity

World Boxing is proud to recognise the invaluable support provided by the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity Programme in helping young boxers take an important step on their journey towards the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

The World Boxing Futures Cup, held in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2026, served as the event for athletes seeking selection for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Attendance at the event was a mandatory eligibility requirement, making participation a crucial milestone for aspiring Youth Olympians.

Through the Olympic Solidarity Programme, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and their National Federations received funding to ensure that talented young athletes had the opportunity to compete, regardless of financial barriers.

In total, the programme supported:

  • 21 National Olympic Committees
  • 32 athletes, comprising 22 men and 10 women
  • 34 coaches

Financial support of $175,000 covered international travel to Thailand, accommodation and meals, enabling athletes and coaches from across Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the Americas to attend the World Boxing Futures Cup and compete for the opportunity to progress towards Dakar 2026.

Elise Seignolle, President of the Panamerican Boxing Confederation, who facilitated the support of teams from Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, said “Olympic Solidarity has played a vital role in giving young athletes opportunities that can shape their entire sporting journey. By supporting their preparation and participation, it allows talented boxers from across the Americas to compete on the international stage and continue developing toward their Olympic dreams. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and its lasting impact on the next generation of champions.”

The IOC established six selection principles for Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, including wide continental representation and strong African representation as the host continent. As a result, the selection event has achieved exceptional global diversity, with 79 NOCs represented across the 120 athlete quota places for Dakar 2026.

World Boxing also thanks the participating NOCs, National Federations and coaches whose commitment ensured these young athletes could take part in this important initiative, with several athletes travelling outside of their home countries for the very first time.

The partnership between Olympic Solidarity and World Boxing demonstrates the shared commitment of both organisations to developing the next generation of Olympic boxers and providing meaningful opportunities for young athletes on the Road to Dakar 2026 and beyond.

The NOC’s supported for the participation in the World Boxing Futures Cup include:

BeninBotswanaEquatorial Guinea
LibyaMauritiusNamibia
SenegalGambiaSeychelles
Bangladesh BhutanIraq
LebanonGuatemalaHonduras
Trinidad and TobagoVenezuelaLithuania
LatviaFijiTuvalu

World Boxing are now working with the Olympic Solidarity department of the IOC and members of the African Confederation to facilitate a pre-competition training camp in Senegal for the athletes supported by the programme. 

Solomon Desmond Kargbo, President of African Boxing said: “African Boxing is entering a defining moment, which has been made possible with the support of the Olympic Solidarity Program. As we look ahead to the Youth Olympic Games, this momentum gives our athletes crucial preparation and sends a strong message that African boxing is progressing with structure, ambition and purpose.”

The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will be held in Senegal from 31st October to 13th November with the boxing competition taking place between November 7th and November 12th. 

Seventeen candidates nominated for election at World Boxing’s fourth annual Congress in November 2026

Seventeen candidates representing seventeen National Federations have been nominated for election at World Boxing’s fourth annual Congress in Panama, 20 November 2026.

The candidates are contesting a series of roles on the Executive Board of World Boxing including: two positions as Vice-President; two Executive Board member roles; and the Chairs of the Sport and Competition Committee, the Finance and Audit Committee, and the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee.

The full list of candidates is available HERE. It is made-up 15 men and two women representing 17 member or associate member National Federations from across four Confederations. Nine are from Asia, four from Europe, and two each from Africa and PanAmerica.

In line with the World Boxing Election Process and Voting Regulations all of the candidates will now be assessed for eligibility by an independent Vetting Panel, that has been approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing and is made-up of three independent, external experts.

A final list of candidates for election will be published in early September 2026 once the work of the Vetting Panel has been completed.

All candidates are subject to the processes set out in the World Boxing Statutes and World Boxing Election Process and Voting Regulations.

World Boxing was launched in April 2023. 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.

World Boxing Extraordinary Congress strengthens governance with new Ethics Committee

World Boxing today held an Extraordinary Congress, at which member federations approved a series of measures further strengthening the organisation’s governance framework.

Opening the Congress, World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin underlined the organisation’s continued commitment to transparent, accountable and athlete-centred governance as it builds toward full IOC recognition and boxing’s long-term Olympic future.

With the quorum of member federations confirmed, delegates approved three governance measures.

First, a constitutional amendment on the Ethics Committee was adopted by the required two-thirds majority. It establishes a permanent Ethics Committee, appointed by Congress on the recommendation of the Executive Board, replacing the previous ad interim body.

Second, delegates approved the composition of the World Boxing Ethics Committee, which takes office on 2 July 2026. The Committee will be chaired by Margot Foster, alongside members Norihide Ishido, Daniel Pitt — appointed by the Athletes’ Committee and independent member Kirsty Burrows.

Third, the Congress approved the appointment of Nexio Fiduciaire SA as auditors for the 2025 accounts. 

Each measure was carried with overwhelming support from the membership.

“Today’s meeting is a big step for our future. We must make decisions, which follow the recommendations from the ASOIF Governance Review and support our recognition by the IOC. This is fundamental to creating a strong and trusted International Federation,” said World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin.

The decisions reinforce the independent oversight and financial-governance structures World Boxing has put in place over recent months. The organisation’s governance program continues at its Congress in Panama in November 2026, where members will consider the next set of governance and athlete-focused measures, including an Athletes’ Rights Charter aligned with the IOC Athletes’ Declaration.

World Boxing confirms two-year suspension for boxer after three whereabouts failures in 12 months

World Boxing can confirm that Mongolia’s Enkhtur Tegshjargal has accepted a two-year period of ineligibility for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

Following an agreement in October 2024, all of World Boxing’s clean sport activities are delegated to the International Testing Agency (ITA) which provides a high-quality anti-doping programme that includes education, in competition and out of competition testing, and results management.

Under Article 2.4 of the World Boxing Anti-Doping Rules (available HERE) Enkhtur Tegshjargal committed three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period.

The athlete has accepted the ADRV and agreed with the consequences proposed by the ITA. Accordingly, the case was resolved by way of an agreement on consequences and the athlete’s period of ineligibility is from 10 June 2026 – 9 June 2028.

All of the athlete’s competitive results obtained from the date of commission of the ADRV (29 November 2025) until the start of the period of Ineligibility (10 June 2026) are disqualified, including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes.

Details of the ITA’s statement on this case are HERE.

Detail of the agreement between World Boxing and the ITA are HERE.

World Boxing to hold Extraordinary Congress on 1 July 2026

World Boxing is to hold an Extraordinary Congress on 1 July 2026 to address a series of governance and administrative matters that require formal approval by Congress.

The specific items on the agenda include:

  • Approval of Amendments to the Constitution related to World Boxing’s Ethics Committee, specifically that it should not be elected by the members but appointed by Congress to guarantee its independence
  • Subsequent changes to the membership of the Ethics Committee, inlcuding the appointment of the four members (including one new independent member); one of the members is U19 World Boxing Champion 2024 Daniel Pitt, who has been nominated by World Boxing’s Athlete Committee.
  • Approval of the appointment of the Auditors for 2025

The Extraordinary Congress will be held virtually.

In accordance with World Boxing’s statutes, voting rights at the Extraordinary Congress shall be limited to Full Member National Federations and Associate Members in good standing in accordance with the World Boxing Constitution and the current electoral period requirements. It means that a maximum of 123 member National Federations will have an opportunity to vote. Endorsed Members will not participate in this Extraordinary Congress and will remain eligible for consideration to become full member at the next regular Congress in November 2026.

The decision to hold an Extraordinary Congress reflects the status of Congress as the highest decision-making body of World Boxing and aims to ensure the continued good governance, legal compliance, and operational stability of World Boxing.

Further details of the Extraordinary Congress are available HERE.