Governance

India to Host World Boxing Cup Finals and World Boxing Congress in November 2025

The World Boxing Cup Finals and the World Boxing Congress in 2025 will be held in New Delhi, India in November 2025.

The decision underscores India’s growing prominence on the global boxing stage and reaffirms its capability to host world-class sporting events.

The World Boxing Cup Final 2025 will be the culmination of the World Boxing Cup series in 2025 and will be preceded by three ranking events which are scheduled to take place in Brazil, Kazakhstan and Germany.   

The competition will take place at the same time as the World Boxing Congress 2025 which will host stakeholders, officials, and dignitaries from the global boxing community. The Congress will include elections for the Presidency and Executive Board and serve as a platform to discuss critical developments, strategies, and the future roadmap for the sport.

The President of the Boxing Federation of India, Mr. Ajay Singh, said: “”It is a proud moment for India to be recognized by World Boxing for hosting such prestigious events. This opportunity not only highlights India’s organizational excellence but also underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring boxing remains an integral part of the Olympic movement. We are honoured to contribute to the sport’s legacy and look forward to welcoming the global boxing community to India in 2025.”

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, added: “I am delighted to announce that India has been awarded the hosting rights for the World Boxing Cup Final and the World Boxing Congress, both scheduled for November 2025.  India is an important leader in the world of boxing and has consistently demonstrated its passion for the sport and its ability to organise successful international events.

“With a proven track record, including hosting global championships, India is a deserving host for these, our most prestigious events. I want to thank India and especially the President of the Boxing Federation of India, Ajay Singh, for his leadership in World Boxing and helping ensure that Boxing remains a part of the Olympics in Los Angeles 2028.

“We are confident that India will deliver an exceptional experience for athletes, officials and fans alike, demonstrating global appeal of boxing. We look forward to an unforgettable celebration of boxing in 2025”.

India’s bid to host these events is expected to inspire aspiring athletes, attract global attention to Indian boxing, and strengthen India’s in the international boxing arena.

The Boxing Federation of India is fully committed to delivering a memorable and impactful experience for athletes, officials, and fans worldwide. Preparations are underway to ensure that the two events set new benchmarks for excellence in hosting international sporting events within the country.

World Boxing reaches 60 members as Executive Board meeting approves five new applications and selects hosts for 2025 World Boxing Cup series and 2027 World Boxing Championships

World Boxing has reached the milestone of 60 members after the applications to join from the National Federations for boxing in Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Myanmar and Palestine were approved at the most recent meeting of its Executive Board (12 December 2024).

The five new members 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, are able to demonstrate: a transparent and open election process; the existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes; a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process; a solid national and international boxing sports programme; and formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport

The meeting of World Boxing’s Executive Board also confirmed a series of decisions relating to its competition calendar which included:

  • To progress negotiations with the National Federations of Brazil, Germany, Kazakhstan and India to host World Boxing Cup events in 2025. The plan is to hold the first World Boxing Cup of the year in Brazil in March 2025, followed by competitions in Germany, Kazakhstan and India. Dates and venues will be confirmed in January 2025
  • The final World Boxing Cup of the year in New Delhi, India, in November 2025 will also host the third World Boxing Congress, which will include elections for the Presidency and Executive Board
  • Following a bidding process, Astana in Kazakhstan was selected as the location for the 2027 Elite World Boxing Championships for men and women

Full details of World Boxing’s competition calendar for 2025 will be published once it has been approved by the Sport and Competition Committee.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “World Boxing has achieved an enormous amount in the last 12 months and to approach the end of the year with 60 members is a fantastic achievement and conclusive evidence of the widespread desire for change that exists in international boxing.

“The decision of so many National Federations to join World Boxing is a sign of the critical importance of remaining part of the Olympic Movement to the future health and stability of our sport and a recognition that this can only be achieved by countries joining and supporting World Boxing.

“After the huge success of our first World Boxing Cup series in 2024, it is fantastic that we have four such strong bids to host the competition in 2025 and I would like to thank the National Federations of Brazil, Germany, Kazakhstan and India for their ongoing support and commitment.

“It is great news that we have been able to confirm Astana in Kazakhstan as the host of our second Elite World Boxing Championships in 2027 after next year’s first edition which will take place in Liverpool, England in September 2025. I would like to thank the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation for its commitment to World Boxing in agreeing to host both a World Boxing Cup and a World Boxing Championships over the next three years.

“I am also very grateful to the Boxing Federation of India for its ongoing support in bidding to host both a World Boxing Cup and our next Congress in 2025 in New Delhi.

“That we are able to put these dates in place and continue to build our competition calendar is a sign of the increased stability that World Boxing is bringing to the sport for our members and augurs very well for the future.

“The momentum is building and I look forward to announcing more members in the near future as we are continuing to process applications from more countries who want to be part of World Boxing and support our mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”

Gennadiy Golovkin, President of the Kazakhstan National Olympic Committee and Chair of World Boxing’s Olympic Commission, added: “It is a great honour and responsibility for Kazakhstan to host the 2027 World Boxing Championship, which will take place in the pre-Olympic cycle. Our country has successful experience in hosting large-scale world sports competitions at the highest level, and I am confident that this tournament will be no exception. Understanding the importance of this World Championship on the eve of the Olympics in Los Angeles, I thank World Boxing for the trust placed in us.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023. On 7 May 2024, it held the first formal meeting with the IOC which signalled the start of formal collaboration aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

On 26 September 2024, World Boxing announced that it had set-up an Olympic Commission, chaired by President of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, to support and assist the process of developing a pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored Games.

World Boxing backs plan to create a new Confederation in Asia

World Boxing has welcomed the creation of a new Asian confederation to represent and promote boxing in the region, marking a significant milestone for the sport.

The new confederation, which will be aligned to World Boxing, is being created following the decision by the President of the Thailand Boxing Association, Mr. Pichai Chunhavajira, to step down from the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) following challenges in securing its independence from the International Boxing Association (IBA).

Boris van der Vorst, the President of World Boxing, hailed this development as a “historic moment” in the evolution of the sport. He said: “We are thrilled to take this step towards empowering boxing in Asia. We are confident that the new Asian boxing confederation will thrive and further elevate the sport in the region.”

The newly formed confederation has received strong support from the World Boxing community. Gennadiy Golovkin, Chair of the World Boxing Olympic Commission and a celebrated champion, warmly welcomed a new Asian boxing confederation.

Golovkin said: “It is a privilege to have a clean breakthrough organization for Asia. Asian Boxing will with dedication advance the sport in Asia and undoubtedly make a lasting impact.”

The formation of a new Asian confederation marks a new era for boxing in the region. It will bring together stakeholders with a shared commitment to the principles of independence, fairness, and ensuring that the interest of athletes are at the centre of decision making.

World Boxing will collaborate with the new Asian boxing confederation to support its goals and ensure the continued success of boxing worldwide.

World Boxing was launched in April 2023.  On 7 May 2024, it held the first formal meeting with the IOC which signalled the start of formal collaboration aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games. On 26 September 2024, World Boxing announced that it had set-up an Olympic Commission, chaired by President of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, Gennadiy Golovkin, to support the process of developing a pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored to the Olympic Games.

International Testing Agency to deliver ‘Clean Sport Education Webinar’ for World Boxing members on 3 December 2024

The ITA International Testing Agency (ITA) will deliver a ‘Clean Sport Education Webinar’ for World Boxing’s member National Federations on 3 December 2024.

It follows World Boxing’s recent agreement with the ITA for it to provide all of World Boxing’s  anti-doping services and clean sport activities.

The webinar is open to all of World Boxing’s member National Federations and will be delivered in English and Spanish.

Members are advised to register in advance for the session.  All details are below:

Title:                            AD 101 – Clean Sport Education Webinar

Date:                            03 December 2024

Time:                            14:00 – 15:00 CET

Panellist:                     ITA Education Team

Translation:                  English and Spanish

Registration link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CAB3om63TlGtgGLYxaTC6g

The agreement between World Boxing and ITA means that from 1 October 2024, World Boxing has delegated its entire clean sport activities to the ITA with the aim of providing boxers with a high-quality anti-doping program.

The initial 4-year contract also includes independent results management for any potential anti-doping rule violations that may arise.

In its efforts to achieve compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and with the desire to offer its athletes an expert and independent anti-doping program, World Boxing has entrusted the ITA to design and implement a new anti-doping programme as of 1 October 2024, while also supporting the organisation in attaining Code Signatory status.

The ITA will manage the entire testing program for World Boxing, both for in-competition and out-of-competition doping controls. These tests will be based on a bespoke risk assessment that takes into account all relevant factors, including the physiological profile and sporting specificities of boxing.

The management of Athlete Biological Passports (ABPs) of boxing athletes and the processing of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) will also be handled by the ITA. In addition, it will strengthen World Boxing’s anti-doping efforts with a long-term sample retention strategy that will allow selected samples to be stored and re-analysed for up to ten years after the date of collection.

World Boxing Launches New Equipment Licence Programme to Ensure Safe Competition and Training

World Boxing is introducing a new equipment licence programme to ensure the highest safety standards for boxers in training and competition.

It means boxing products will now undergo rigorous testing to determine their suitability in World Boxing competitions as well as associated training and sparring sessions.

The screening will include chemical and mechanical testing for boxing gloves and boxing headgear. Boxing equipment that successfully passes the strict testing requirements will receive approved certification status valid for a period of four years, including:

  • Certificate of use from World Boxing
  • Certification from the testing agency
  • Appropriate marks for the equipment manufacturer to show they are an approved manufacturer for specific boxing products
  • Approved quality logo for the specific product(s) for marketing and sales.

Products that are approved through the testing procedure will be subject to re-evaluation after four years and will also be randomly assessed throughout their certified period. These measures will ensure that quality standards are upheld consistently after the initial testing process.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, said: “The safety and wellbeing of athletes is always at the forefront of everything we do at World Boxing and the new equipment licence programme means that boxers will be able to train and compete at the highest level in the knowledge that the equipment they use is of the highest safety standards.

“This is an important initiative in helping to create a safer environment at every level of the sport.”

The programme offers equipment manufacturers the opportunity to have their products quality verified by an impartial external body and endorsed by World Boxing.

It also grants manufacturers access to tender opportunities for future major boxing competitions where World Boxing’s rules apply or where World Boxing’s stakeholders are responsible for the event. Testing is mandatory for manufacturers who wish to submit their products for use in these events and unlicensed products will not be permitted for use in these environments.

World Boxing agrees to delegate adjudication on all anti-doping violations to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS AAD)

World Boxing has agreed to delegate adjudication on all anti-doping violations to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS AAD), a separate entity of the CAS which deals solely with Anti-doping hearings. 

It means that CAS ADD will be the first instance authority to adjudicate on all alleged violations detected by World Boxing’s anti-doping processes and will decide on the appropriate sanction for any breach of the rules.

The agreement with CAS ADD follows the recent announcement that World Boxing has secured a four-year arrangement with the International Testing Agency (ITA) for it to provide all of its anti-doping services and clean sport activities.

Under this arrangement, the ITA will manage World Boxing’s entire programme of in-competition and out-of-competition doping controls, results management, athlete education and the management of Athlete Biological Passports (ABPs) and the processing of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs).

Any violations detected during the testing process will be passed to CAS ADD who will oversee the adjudication and appeals process. World Boxing has agreed to abide by any decision issued by CAS AAD.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, explained: “World Boxing is committed to the highest standards of governance and transparency and having an end-to-end anti-doping process in place that is completely independent of the International Federation demonstrates this.

“By delegating our testing and education programme to the ITA and the adjudication process to CAS ADD, all of our National Federations and their boxers, can be sure that World Boxing is doing everything possible to promote and deliver clean sport and that all activities and decisions in this area are free of interference and subject to independent third-party oversight.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to keep Boxing in the Olympic Games. On 7 May 2024, it held the first formal meeting with the IOC which signaled the start of formal collaboration aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

WORLD BOXING ENTRUSTS THE ITA TO DESIGN AND INDEPENDENTLY MANAGE A COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM FOR ITS ATHLETES

World Boxing has secured an agreement with the International Testing Agency (ITA) for it to provide all of its anti-doping services and clean sport activities.

The agreement means that from 1 October 2024, World Boxing has delegated its entire clean sport activities to the ITA with the aim of providing boxers with a high-quality anti-doping program.

The initial 4-year contract between World Boxing and the ITA also includes independent results management for any potential anti-doping rule violations that may arise.

In its efforts to achieve compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and with the desire to offer its athletes an expert and independent anti-doping program, World Boxing has entrusted the ITA to design and implement a new anti-doping programme as of 1 October 2024, while also supporting the organisation in attaining Code Signatory status.

The ITA will manage the entire testing program for World Boxing, both for in-competition and out-of-competition doping controls. These tests will be based on a bespoke risk assessment that takes into account all relevant factors, including the physiological profile and sporting specificities of boxing.

The management of Athlete Biological Passports (ABPs) of boxing athletes and the processing of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) will also be handled by the ITA. In addition, it will strengthen World Boxing’s anti-doping efforts with a long-term sample retention strategy that will allow selected samples to be stored and re-analysed for up to ten years after the date of collection.

In order to provide boxing athletes with the most comprehensive anti-doping program possible, the ITA will complete the World Boxing anti-doping program with intelligence & investigations activities and respond to all information shared confidentially through the ITA’s secure reporting platform REVEAL.

All clean sport activities on behalf of World Boxing will be conducted by the ITA in strict compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and its International Standards, with the ITA’s dedicated Regulatory Compliance unit ensuring full compliance with the mandatory rules. All potential anti-doping rule violations arising from the anti-doping program will be subject to independent results management by the ITA.

The ITA will also raise awareness of doping, support the values of clean sport, and contribute to the prevention of doping among boxing athletes by establishing an education plan in line with WADA’s International Standard for Education.

“We welcome World Boxing as our newest partner at the ITA,” said ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen. “Our dedicated team remains committed to contribute to the implementation of a robust and trustworthy clean sport program for boxing athletes all over the world as is already the case with ITA’s management of other key boxing tournaments, including all Olympic boxing competitions. With a proven track record of managing anti-doping programs for various combat sports, the ITA is well versed in tailoring strategies to the specific needs of these athletes. We are committed to supporting all athletes with the best independent clean sport measures possible and ensure fair competition in sport.”

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, added: “World Boxing is committed to sporting integrity and clean sport.  The ITA is a widely respected organisaiton and  having this relationship in place will ensure that World Boxing is able to deliver a comprehenisve program of testing in and out of competition and provide educaton to National Federations and ther boxers on the importance of clean sport.”

World Boxing announces Initial Certification process for all Technical Officials

World Boxing has launched a new Initial Certification process for Technical Officials to ensure the highest standards of integrity and transparency in officiating at its competitions and tournaments.

The Certification process is based on the practices of the Paris Boxing Unit for Olympic boxing competitions and is open to all active boxing Technical Officials, including Referees & Judges (R&Js) and Ringside Doctors, who have previous international experience. It is designed to identify the candidates with the most appropriate experience and create common standards and working practices to ensure sporting integrity.

Application Process

All active boxing Technical Officials with international experience that wish to officiate at World Boxing events, are eligible to apply for the certification by completing the Initial Certification Questionnaire (Stage 1).

Candidates are advised to complete all applicable sections based on their experience, ensure accuracy and completeness of all provided information to support the certification process and to review responses carefully before submitting to ensure all information is correct and complete as inaccurate information may result in rejection of the application.

The deadline for completion of the questionnaire is 23:59 CET, 15 July 2024. Any applications received after this deadline will not be considered on this occasion.

This questionnaire is the first stage in the Initial Certification process for all Technical Officials. Responses will be carefully evaluated by the World Boxing Sports and Competition Committee to verify qualifications and experience in relevant Technical Official roles.

Candidates that process through the questionnaire will be invited to take online written tests, which will be conducted separately for eligible candidates of the three different groups: R&Js, Ringside Doctors, and all other Technical Official roles.

The results of these tests will determine whether a candidate is granted an Initial Certification by World Boxing.

Any active Technical Officials that do not participate in this process or do not progress beyond the questionnaire will be welcome to enroll in the full certification courses for Technical Official roles that will be offered by World Boxing in future.

Participation in these courses will be mandatory for those who wish to officiate at World Boxing events but have not been certified through the Initial Certification process.

Help & Support

To help address any questions regarding this initial process as well as the future certification courses, two online meetings will be held on 8 July 2024 at 12:00 CET and 21:00 CET to accommodate various time zones. Officials must register in advance to take part in these meetings at the links below:

Registration for Support Meeting 1 on 8 July 2024 @ 12:00 CET

Registration for Support Meeting 2 on 8 July 2024 @ 21:00 CET Any further questions regarding Certification for Technical Officials can be emailed to sport@worldboxing.org.