Olympics

Boxing competition at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics will deliver gender parity with 60 men and 60 women from 79 National Olympic Committees selected to compete

The athlete selection process for the Boxing competition at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games has been completed with 120 athlete quota places allocated to 79 National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

The final allocation of 60 male and 60 female athletes achieves full gender parity and will maintain the sporting integrity of the competition while also delivering strong global representation across all five continents.

The allocation reflects the IOC Participation Principles for Dakar 2026 which are based on the six key pillars of:

  • Universality
  • Continental Representation
  • Athlete Performance
  • Gender Equality
  • NOC Representation
  • Event Representation

To support the principle of Athlete Performance, in March 2026 World Boxing organised the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, for boxers under the age of 19. The competition featured more than 450 boxers and demonstrated that the boxers who are eligible for selection for Dakar 2026 possessed the competitive standard required for participation at the Youth Olympic Games.

World Boxing also provided travel and accommodation support to 23 participating National Federations and NOC’s, through Olympic Solidarity funding, to reduce financial barriers to participation and facilitate athlete access to the qualification process.

A full breakdown of NOCs per weight category can be seen below.

Table of Women’s Weight Categories for Dakar 2026:

W48W51W54W57W60
ALGBOTEGYALGALG
NGRKENMARSENEGY
MARALGBENTUNSEN
AZEBELROUHUNNED
GBRPOLGERFRALTU
MGLBHUJPNIRIKGZ
INDJORKAZKAZJPN
COLVENVENECUUZB
MEXPANCOLBRAUKR
TURAUSAUSTPEFIJ
THACANKORPOLCHN
ITANZLUZBUKRSVK

Table of Men’s Weight Categories for Dakar 2026

M50M55M60M65M70
SENTOGSEYALGEGY
NAMMRIMRIEGYGHA
SOMLBAGAMTJKLBA
IRLGEOTURARMLAT
ROUSWESVKESPCZE
INDLBNTHAJPNBAN
TKMKSACHNJORUAE
MEXDOMHONTTOMEX
COLCANGUAMEXECU
NZLAUSFIJISRSAM
IRQFINGEQMDAGBR
HKGTKMPURUZBKAZ

The YOG World Boxing Athlete Selection report is available HERE.

The YOG Dakar 2026 Participation Principles are HERE.

The YOG Dakar 2026 Boxing Quota Allocation Report is HERE.

World Boxing welcomes ASOIF Governance Review and is ready to make continued progress

World Boxing has welcomed the publication of the Sixth Review of International Federation Governance by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), as an important benchmark in the organisation’s ongoing growth.

The review awarded World Boxing a moderated score of 117 points. While this was slightly below our target score of 135, World Boxing believes the result provides a solid foundation for a young International Federation that was assessed at an early stage of its development. We are confident that the significant governance reforms and organisational improvements implemented since the review period will be reflected in future assessments.

As a relatively new organisation with provisional Olympic membership status, World Boxing is encouraged by its performance in several of the review’s most important governance areas, particularly transparency, democracy and integrity. These pillars are fundamental to building a credible and athlete-focused Olympic International Federation and reflect the values upon which World Boxing was established.

The ASOIF review is based on a detailed assessment of governance arrangements in place at the beginning of 2026. As such, it provides a snapshot of World Boxing in its start-up phase, when the organisation was operating with limited resources and before a number of significant organisational changes had been implemented. The review also noted that World Boxing’s self-assessment was closely aligned with the final outcome and recognised that a number of governance improvements had already been introduced after the assessment period, meaning they were not reflected in the final score.

Since the period covered by the review, World Boxing has a new leadership team with the election of Gennadiy Golovkin as President and Tom Dielen as Secretary General and is actively investing in the systems, policies and programmes required to support its long-term growth.

The review identified opportunities for improvement in areas including development programmes, sustainability initiatives and certain control mechanisms. World Boxing recognises the importance of these areas and has already begun work to strengthen its capabilities and governance framework. The organisation expects to make substantial progress as additional resources become available and new initiatives are implemented.

World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin said:

“We welcome the ASOIF Governance Review as an important tool for measuring progress and identifying areas where we can continue to improve. The review recognises the strong foundations that World Boxing has established in key governance areas, particularly transparency, democracy and integrity, which have been priorities since the organisation was created.

“As a new organisation, we have had to make careful decisions about where to focus our resources while building an organisation from the ground up. It is encouraging that the review acknowledges this context and recognises that our governance structures and policies compare favourably with many more established organisations.

“We are also pleased that ASOIF noted the fact that a number of improvements had already been implemented after the review period. This gives us confidence that we are moving in the right direction and that future assessments will provide an even more complete reflection of the progress being made.

“This is a strong platform on which to build. With our new leadership team in place and additional resources becoming available, we are confident of making significant progress during 2026 and improving our performance in future reviews.”

World Boxing will work in the coming months with ASOIF and IOC to make sure that we are continuing the progress that was already made since the submission, aiming to comfortably achieve the target score of 135 in due course. 

World Boxing remains fully committed to the highest standards of governance and accountability and will continue to work closely with its member National Federations, athletes, stakeholders and partners to build a strong and sustainable future for Olympic-style boxing.

IOC approves Olympic Qualification System for boxing competition at LA28

The Qualification System developed by World Boxing for the boxing competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28) has been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Under the system (HERE) 248 places are available at LA28, which will be the first Olympic Games in history to feature gender parity in the boxing competition with seven weight classes each for men and women that will be contested by 124 males and 124 females. 

MEN’S WEIGHTSWOMEN’S WEIGHTS
WeightsPlacesWeightsPlaces
55kg1851kg18
60kg1854kg18
65kg2057kg20
70kg2060kg18
80kg1665kg18
90kg1670kg16
90kg+1675kg16
TOTAL124TOTAL124

The Qualification System is made up of three global competitions and five Continental events which means that boxers will have up to four opportunities to secure a place at LA28.

The qualification pathway and the boxing competition in Los Angeles will be overseen and managed by World Boxing which is the International Federation for boxing recognised by the IOC.

The first qualification event will be the 2027 World Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan which will be followed by five Continental qualifiers in 2027 and 2028. The path to LA28 will conclude with two final world qualifiers in 2028.  The bidding process to host one of these events will begin imminently.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Tom Dielen, said: “The boxing competition at LA28 will be a historic moment for the sport as it will be the first to feature gender parity and is a sign of the rapid progress that has been made since female boxing was first included in the Games at London 2012.

“World Boxing is committed to playing a positive role within the Olympic Movement and we look forward to working closely with the IOC and our National Federations and Continental Confederations to delivering a qualification pathway and a boxing competition in Los Angeles that will provide a fantastic platform for our male and female competitors to showcase their skills and pursue their dream of Olympic success.”

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.

Venues announced for Boxing competition at LA28

The venues have been announced for the boxing competition that will take place at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).

The preliminary boxing rounds will be held in the Peacock Theater in Downton Los Angeles before the action moves to Arena in Downtown Los Angeles for the final stages.

248 boxers will compete in the boxing competition at LA28 which will be delivered and managed by World Boxing.  It will feature seven male and seven female weight classes, providing full parity between men and women for the first time at an Olympic Games. 

LA28 Chief Executive Officer, Reynold Hoover, said: “We’ve promised the world an incredible Olympic Games and today we’re proud to share the plan that will make it happen. Los Angeles is the epicenter of sports, culture and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans the best possible experience.

“The 2028 Olympic venue plan invites communities from across the region to celebrate the Games coming to their backyard with the most exciting sports staged at some of the world’s top-tier existing stadiums and arenas, famous beaches and purpose-built temporary structures.”

City of Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass, said: “As the Host City for the 2028 Games, Los Angeles will become only the third city in the history of the world to host the Summer Olympics three times and these venues will showcase the best of our city to a global audience.

“This plan brings the Games to all corners of our city like never before — from the Sepulveda Basin to the iconic shores of Venice Beach, our world-famous neighborhoods as well as our hidden gems will be on full display for all to experience and enjoy. And as we come together to prepare, we will help small businesses, create local jobs and implement lasting environmental and transportation improvements that will leave a legacy in our city for generations to come.”

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. 

IOC confirms gender parity in boxing at LA28 with seven weight classes for both men and women 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed the weight classes and quota places for the boxing competition at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) where there will be full parity between men and women. 

It means there will be seven weight classes for both men and women, who will have an equal share of the 248 quota places in the boxing competition (124 each). 

Parity in the weight classes means an additional weight category has been added to the female competition from Paris 2024, where there were seven classes for men (125 quota places) and six for women (124 quota places). 

The news follows the decision by the 144th Session of the IOC (20 March 2025) to restore boxing to the sport programme for LA28, where the competition and qualification pathway will be managed by World Boxing after it was granted provisional recognition by the IOC in February 2025 as the International Federation (IF) for boxing within the Olympic Movement. 

The weight classes for boxing at LA28 will be:

Men’s Weight Categories Women’s Weight Categories
OverUnderOverUnder
Bantamweight 50kg 55kg Flyweight 48kg 51kg 
Lightweight 55kg 60kg Bantamweight 51kg 54kg 
Welterweight 60kg 65kg Featherweight 54kg 57kg 
Light-middleweight 65kg 70kg Lightweight 57kg 60kg 
Light-heavyweight 70kg 80kg Welterweight 60kg 65kg 
Heavyweight 80kg 90kg Light-middleweight 65kg 70kg 
Super-heavyweight 90kg Middleweight 
70kg75kg

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “Boxing is an inclusive sport that is open to everyone and we welcome the decision by the IOC to create parity in the number of weight classes for men and women at LA28. 

“This will be a significant milestone for the sport and is a sign of the enormous progress that has been made in women’s boxing since it was first included in the Olympic programme at London 2012, where there were three weight categories. World Boxing is committed to playing a positive role within the Olympic Movement and we look forward to working closely with the IOC to deliver a boxing competition that will be a fantastic platform for our male and female competitors and showcase all that is great about our sport.”

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 welcomes decision by IOC to include boxing at LA28

World Boxing has welcomed the decision by the 144th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include boxing on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).

The decision follows the recent decision by the Executive Board of the IOC to grant World Boxing provisional recognition as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level.

The two decisions mean that World Boxing will be the IF responsible for organising the qualification pathway and the boxing tournament at LA28.

Welcoming the news that boxing would be included at LA28, the President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “This is great day for boxers, boxing and everyone connected with our sport, at every level, across the world.

“This outcome has been achieved by a massive team effort by a huge number of people in every part of the world and would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of all of the National Federations, boxers, coaches, officials and boxing leaders that have worked together to enable this to happen. I would like to personally thank each and every one of them for their support and determination to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

“World Boxing is very grateful to the IOC for the faith they have placed in our organisation by restoring boxing to the programme for LA2028, and I can reassure them that we will do everything in our power to ensure that we operate to the highest standards of governance and transparency and deliver sporting integrity.

“World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Games is a privilege and not a right and we are determined to be a trustworthy and reliable partner that will adhere to and uphold the values of the Olympic Movement.

“There is still a lot of work to do, and everyone at World Boxing is committed to continuing to work together and doing everything within our power to deliver a better future for our boxers and for our sport.”

The Chair of World Boxing’s Olympic Commission, Gennadiy Golovkin, who secured a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 before going on to win the middleweight world title on two occasions, added: “The IOC decision to include boxing in the Los Angeles Olympics is a long-awaited result of the focused efforts and work of World Boxing and our entire Olympic Commission. This means that we have managed to preserve the dream that inspires thousands of athletes around the world. As an Olympian, I understand how important this is for future generations of champions. The Olympic Games are not just competitions, they are a symbol of hope, striving for excellence and an opportunity to show the world what you are capable of.

“Step by step, we did everything to preserve boxing with its rich history and traditions in the Olympic program, so that every young athlete would have the opportunity to one day stand on the Olympic podium under the flag of their country.

“I realize what a great responsibility lies with us, and I understand that there is still a lot of work to do. World Boxing intends to continue working on maximum transparency in matters of fair judging, the selection of athletes for the upcoming Games and the creation of an objective evaluation system.”

The news was greeted with delight by other leading figures from across the sport of boxing.

Ukrainian legend, Wladimir Klitschko, who is the longest reigning heavyweight champion in history and won gold at Atlanta 1996, said: “This is absolutely fantastic news.  Winning Olympic gold was one of the biggest highlights of my career and I would hate to see that opportunity get taken away from future generations. 

“The Olympic Games is so important to our sport and to have not been part of it would have been a disaster for boxing and boxers everywhere from the grassroots to the professionals.

“This is another great comeback story for boxing.  It has been a long hard battle, but the right decision has been reached in the end I would like to personally thank and congratulate everyone connected with World Boxing for the work they have done to save boxing as an Olympic sport.” 

Cindy Ngamba, who was the first refugee in history to win an Olympic medal, when she won Middleweight bronze at Paris 2024, added: “This is a massive step for the boxing community. The uncertainty around our sport’s Olympic future has been tough, but this decision means everything to the athletes.

“As someone who had the honour of representing the Refugee Team, I know firsthand how much the Olympics represents hope and opportunity. It’s not just about medals—it is about giving fighters from all backgrounds a platform to showcase their talent. I look forward to seeing boxing on the Olympic programme at LA28.”

Richard Torrez Jr, who won a silver medal for Team USA at Tokyo 2020 before turning professional and now sits on the board of World Boxing as an Athlete Representative, said: “World Boxing securing boxing in the LA 2028 Olympics will bring the boxing community together like never before.

“This is a great accomplishment and is a true testament that the Olympics are better with boxing in them than without. This will inspire generations of boxers to achieve their lifelong dream of winning gold.”

World Boxing’s other Athlete Representative, Tokyo 2020 gold medallist and current WBC, WBA, IBO and The Ring Welterweight World Champion, Lauren Price, commented: “Competing at the Olympic Games was always my dream and nothing I achieve in my professional career will ever top the achievement of winning gold at Tokyo 2020.

“It is what inspired me to take up the sport in the first place and has given me a platform that means I am now able to enjoy a successful career as a professional boxer.  Restoring boxing for LA28 means that other boxers can continue to do the same and keeps the Olympic dream alive. It is fantastic news for boxers, boxing and the Olympic Movement.”

Australia’s Caitlin Parker, who won a bronze medal at Paris 2024 and is part of World Boxing’s Athlete Committee added: “The Olympic Games is the absolute pinnacle of our sport and there is no greater honour then to represent your country at the highest level. To have clarity around LA28 allows us to plan to the minute and build through major events like the World Boxing Championships and the Commonwealth Games in 2026.”

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 26 February 2025, it was granted provisional recognition by the IOC as the IF within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level.

WORLD BOXING WELCOMES DECISION OF IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD TO PROPOSE BOXING FOR INCLUSION AT LA28

World Boxing has welcomed the decision by the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to propose the inclusion of boxing on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28), to the 144th Session of the IOC that will take place in Costa Navarino, Greece, this week (19-21 March 2025).  

Provided the IOC Session votes to approve the EB’s proposal when it meets this week, boxing will be restored to the competition programme for LA28.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “This is a very significant and important decision for Olympic boxing and takes the sport one step closer to being restored to the Olympic programme. 

“I have no doubt it will be very positively received by everyone connected with boxing, at every level throughout the world, who understands the critical importance to the future of the sport of boxing continuing to remain a part of the Olympic Movement.

“On behalf of everyone at World Boxing I would like to thank the EB of the IOC for the trust they have placed in our organisation and we hope for a positive outcome when the IOC Session meets this week.

“World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Games is a privilege and not a right and I assure the IOC that if boxing is restored to the programme for LA28, that World Boxing is completely committed to being a trustworthy and reliable partner that will adhere to and uphold the values of the Olympic Charter.”

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 26 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 secures provisional membership of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF)

World Boxing has secured provisional membership of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF).

It follows the recent decision by the IOC (26 February 2025) to grant provisional Olympic recognition to World Boxing and marks an important milestone in the International Federation’s growing role within the Olympic Movement.

The ARISF Executive Board unanimously approved World Boxing’s provisional membership on 10 March 2025.  Final ratification will be decided by the ARISF General Assembly later this year, in accordance with ARISF Statutes.

ARISF President, Dr Raffaele Chiulli, welcomed World Boxing’s inclusion. He said: “World Boxing has demonstrated a strong commitment to integrity, good governance, and the fundamental values of sport. ARISF is delighted to welcome them as a provisional member, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth and contribution to the Olympic Movement.”

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, added: “Joining ARISF is a significant moment for World Boxing as we continue to strengthen our position within the Olympic Movement. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of governance and integrity, ensuring the best possible environment to thrive for the future generation of athletes and future champions.”

Since its official launch in April 2023, World Boxing has made significant progress and now has 84-member National Federations across all five continents that participate in boxing.

The rapid growth in membership was cited by the IOC in its decision to grant provisional recognition to World Boxing.  Other factors it identified include:

  • Representation among countries that compete in Olympic boxing and the fact that 62 per cent of the boxers and 58 per cent of the boxing medallists from Paris 2024 are affiliated to National Federations that are members of World Boxing
  • Usage and application of the sports integrity processes, including independent oversight, implemented during the 2024 Olympic Games by the Paris Boxing Unit
  • Membership of AIMS, as approved by the SportAccord Executive Committee and the AIMS General Assembly
  • Significant progress in governance and transparency, which included:
    • Putting in place the structures and documentation for good governance (including the World Boxing Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest Policy and declaration form, Anti-Corruption Policy, and Finance and Audit Committee Terms of Reference), and demonstrating strong willingness and effort in enhancing and implementing good governance that is compliant with the appropriate standards
    • Providing assurance on the financial stability of the organisation and its revenue generating processes
    • Recognition of the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)   
    • A successful application for World Anti-Doping Code Signatory Status, which has been accepted by WADA, and agreeing a contract with the International Testing Agency (ITA) for it to provide all of World Boxing’s anti-doping services and clean sport activities