Membership

World Boxing’s Executive Board endorses three new membership applications from Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal

The Executive Board of World Boxing has endorsed three new membership applications from the National Federations for boxing in Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal.

The endorsement of three new applications means World Boxing now has 155 National Federations as members, made-up of 123 ‘Full Members’, one ‘Associate Member’ and 31 ‘Endorsed Members’.


Under World Boxing Statutes HERE the National Federations for boxing in Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal have “Endorsed Member’ status which means they are able to compete in World Boxing competitions but cannot vote at Congress 2026 as they do not have ‘Full Member’ status.


‘Full Member’ status can only be conferred by Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing, and will be voted on at Congress 2026. ‘Endorsed Members’ that are successful in having their membership applications ratified at this Congress and become ‘Full Members’ will be able to vote at the following year’s Congress in 2027 and all those thereafter.

The three new National Federation members are:

  • Boxing Federation of Armenia
  • Portuguese Boxing Federation (Federação Portuguesa de Boxe)
  • Boxing Federation of Equatorial Guinea (FEGUIBOX)

To secure the endorsement of the Executive Board, all three have completed a rigorous application process and are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, able to demonstrate:

  • A transparent and open election process for the appointment of office bearing roles
  • The existence and operation of WADA-recognsied anti-doping polices and processes
  • Evidence of a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process that is either fully independent or subject to external input


Lists of the 124 National Federations that have ‘Full Member’ or ‘Associate Member’ status and the 31 National Federations that have ‘Endorsed Member’ status can viewed be in the membership section of the World Boxing website HERE.


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.

World Boxing’s Executive Board endorses new membership applications from 15 National Federations

The Executive Board of World Boxing has endorsed new membership applications from 15 boxing National Federations.

Under World Boxing Statutes HERE the 15 new National Federations have “Endorsed Member’ status which means they are able to compete in World Boxing competitions but cannot vote at Congress 2026 as they do not have ‘Full Member’ status.

‘Full Member’ status can only be conferred by Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing, and will be voted on at Congress 2026. ‘Endorsed Members’ that are successful in having their membership applications ratified at this Congress and become ‘Full Members’ will be able to vote at the following year’s Congress in 2027 and all those thereafter.

The 15 new National Federations are:

COUNTRYNATIONAL FEDERATION
BahrainBahrain Boxing Federation
BangladeshBangladesh Boxing Federation
EswatiniEswatini Boxing Federation
Faroe IslandsBoxing Association of the Faroe Islands
GuyanaGuyana Boxing Association
LesothoLesotho Boxing Association
LuxembourgLuxembourg Boxing Federation
MaltaMalta Boxing Federation
MoroccoRoyal Moroccan Boxing Federation
NigerNigerian Boxing Federation (FENIBOXE)
Puerto RicoPuerto Rican Boxing Federation
SerbiaSerbia Boxing Federation
SeychellesSeychelles Boxing Federation
TogoTogo Boxing Federation
TunisiaTunisia Boxing Federation

The new additions mean that World Boxing now has 152 National Federations as members, made-up of 123 ‘Full Members’; one ‘Associate Member’ and 28 ‘Endorsed Members’.

The 15 National Federations that have been most recently endorsed by the Executive Board, 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 for the appointment of office bearing roles
  • The existence and operation of WADA-recognsied anti-doping polices and processes
  • Evidence of a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process that is either fully independent or subject to external input

A list of the 124 National Federations that have ‘Full Member’ or ‘Associate Member’ status can be viewed HERE.

A list of the 28 National Federations that have ‘Endorsed Member’ status can be viewed HERE.

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.

Ratification of 49 applications at Congress 2025 takes World Boxing’s membership to 124 National Federations

World Boxing has ratified the membership applications of 49 National Federations HERE at its most recent Congress 2025 in Rome.

It means that World Boxing now has 124 member National Federations that have been approved by Congress. The list of 124 members can be viewed HERE.

Of the 124 National Federations, 123 have ‘Full Member’ status and are eligible to vote in World Boxing’s next annual Congress in 2026. GB Boxing has ‘Associate Member’ status and is eligible to participate in Congress but not have a vote.

All boxing National Federations are able to apply to join World Boxing and must complete a rigorous process that is designed to ensure that all applicants are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, are able to demonstrate:

  • A transparent and open election process for the appointment of office bearing roles
  • The existence and operation of WADA-recognsied anti-doping polices and processes
  • Evidence of a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process that is either fully independent or subject to external input

Under World Boxing’s Statutes HERE, National Federations that successfully complete the process and have their application approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing have ‘Endorsed Member’ status and can have their application put forward to the next Congress, provided it is not filed later than 90 days before the start of Congress.

Final approval and ratification of ‘Full Member’ status can only be conferred on ‘Endorsed Members’ by the vote of Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing.

It means that National Federations that have been endorsed for membership by the Executive Board and had their application put forward to Congress, will not be able to vote at that Congress.  However, provided their application is ratified and they become a ‘Full Member’ they will be eligible to vote at future Congresses.

In practical terms this means, that any National Federation which is not one of World Boxing’s 124 members, will not be able to vote at the next Congress in 2026, even if they secure endorsement from the Executive Board. However, they will be able to vote at the following year’s Congress in 2027 and thereafter, provided their application for membership is ratified at Congress 2026.

Full details on World Boxing membership and the rights this confers on National Federations are available in World Boxing’s Statutes HERE.

GB Boxing has ‘Associate Member’ status as it is reponsible for managing Great Britain’s elite, World Class Programme (WCP) and taking the team to tournaments, such as the European Games and the Olympic Games, where boxers from England, Scotland and Wales compete as Great Britain (GBR).

World Boxing welcomes eight new nations to take membership to 125 National Federations

The Executive Board of World Boxing has approved membership applications from eight more National Federations, to take its membership to 125 countries.

The eight new members are spread across four continents and include: Slovenian Boxing Federation (Slovenia); National Boxing Federation of North Macedonia (Macedonia); Qatar Boxing Federation (Qatar); Libyan Boxing Federation (Libya); Senegalese Boxing Federation (Senegal); Nicaraguan Amateur Boxing Federation (Nicaragua), Kenya (Boxing Federation of Kenya); and the Ukrainian National Federation (Ukraine).

Each 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.

A full list of the 125 National Federations that are members of World Boxing can be viewed HERE.

Under World Boxing’s Statutes, the approval of the Executive Board means the seven 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.

World Boxing approves seven new applications to take total membership to 118 countries

The Executive Board of World Boxing has approved seven more applications from boxing National Federations to increase its membership to 118 countries.

The seven new members, which are spread across four continents, are:

  • Boxing Federation of Bolivia (Bolivia)
  • Salvadoran Boxing Federation (El Salvador)
  • Israel Boxing Association (Israel)
  • Federated States of Micronesia Boxing Association (Micronesia)
  • Somali Boxing Association (Somalia)
  • Central African Boxing Federation (Central Africa Republic)
  • Haitian Boxing Federation (Haiti)

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.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome seven new members from four continents and extend the global footprint of World Boxing as we continue to grow in all parts of the world.

“As we build towards our inaugural World Boxing Championships for elite men and women in Liverpool in September, it is fantastic to see that World Boxing now has significant membership across all five continents that take part in Olympic style boxing and is a truly global international federation.”

A full list of the 118 National Federations that are members of World Boxing can be viewed HERE.

Under World Boxing’s Statutes, the approval of the Executive Board means the seven 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.

Further information on World Boxing is available at www.worldboxing.org.

World Boxing approves five new membership applications from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Indonesia, Romania and Trinidad & Tobago

The Executive Board of World Boxing has approved five more applications from boxing National Federations to increase its membership to 111 countries.

The five new members are the Bosnia and Herzegovina Boxing Federation, the National Boxing Federation of Georgia, the Indonesia Boxing Federation, the Romania Boxing Federation and the Trinidad & Tobago Boxing Association.

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.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “We are delighted to welcome five new National Federations to our growing membership. This is further evidence of the momentum behind World Boxing as we approach key milestones in the organisation’s journey.

“These nations are now eligible for the inaugural World Boxing Championships in September, followed by the World Boxing Cup Finals and our third Congress in November. These events will cap off a significant year for World Boxing after we received recognition as the International Federation of for Olympic boxing in March 2025.”

A full list of the 111 National Federations that are members of World Boxing can be viewed HERE.

Under World Boxing’s Statutes, the approval of the Executive Board means the five 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.

Further information on World Boxing is available at www.worldboxing.org.

Approval of 17 new applications sees membership of World Boxing surpass 100 National Federations

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:

  1. Afghanistan National Boxing Federation
  2. Austrian Boxing Federation
  3. The Boxing Federation of Azerbaijan
  4. Chilean Boxing Federation
  5. Columbia Boxing Federation
  6. Cuban Boxing Federation
  7. Irish Athletic Boxing Association
  8. Hong Kong Boxing Federation
  9. Lebanese Boxing Federation
  10. Federacion Mexicana De Boxeo
  11. Macao Boxing Federation
  12. Mauritius Boxing Federation
  13. Royal Spanish Boxing Federation
  14. Saudi Boxing Federation
  15. Uganda Boxing Federation
  16. United Arab Emirates Boxing Federation
  17. 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.

World Boxing approves applications from National Federations in China, Türkiye, Sudan, Greece, Montenegro and Slovakia to increase membership to 84 countries

The Executive Board of World Boxing has approved six more applications from boxing National Federations to increase its’ membership to 84 countries.

The six new members are: the Chinese Boxing Federation; the Turkish Boxing Federation; the Sudan Boxing Federation; the Boxing Association of Montenegro; the Slovak Boxing Federation and the Hellenic Boxing Federation (Greece).

The approval of the applications follows the recent announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 25 February 2025 to grant provisional Olympic recognition to World Boxing.

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.

The addition of China and Türkiye increases the number of World Boxing members whose men and women won medals at the 2024 Olympics where China finished second in the boxing medal table with three golds and two silver, while Türkiye came joint eighth with three medals.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “It is my pleasure to welcome our latest members which further increases the global reach of World Boxing across all five Continents as we continue to grow and go from strength to strength.

“The addition of six more members to our ever-increasing membership is further evidence of the widespread support that exists across our sport for the work that World Boxing is doing to deliver a better future for boxers and ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”

A full list of the 84 National Federations that are members of World Boxing can be viewed HERE.

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.