Press Release

World Boxing becomes Associate Member of ASOIF

June 12, 2025

World Boxing has been admitted as an Associate Member of The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) following its recent recognition as the International Federation for Olympic Boxing.

The decision was taken at the 49^th ASOIF General Assembly, in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 11 June 2025. It follows the IOC’s approval of the inclusion of boxing on the LA28 Olympic programme earlier this year.

World Boxing President, Boris van der Vorst, said: “It is an honour for World Boxing to be admitted into ASOIF. World Boxing was established to ensure that boxing continues to have an Olympic future and we are committed to being a supportive partner and working with our colleagues at ASOIF to uphold the highest standards of governance.

“This decision further cements the role of boxing within the Olympic Movement and means that every boxer in every gym around the world can continue to have the dream of one day competing on the biggest stage in sport at the Olympic Games.”

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 to introduce mandatory sex testing for all boxers that want to participate in its competitions*

May 30, 2025

World Boxing will introduce mandatory sex testing, to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes that want to take part in its competitions. The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on “Sex, Age and Weight” to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women.

The policy is in the final stages of development and has been crafted by a specially convened Working Group of the World Boxing Medical and Anti-Doping Committee, which has examined data and medical evidence from an extensive range of sources and consulted widely with other sports and experts across the world.

World Boxing’s new polcy and the introducition of testing will mean that all athletes over the age of 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete.

The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex. The test can be a be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood.

Athletes that are deemed to be male at birth, as evidenced by the presence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a difference of sexual development (DSD) where male androgenization occurs, will be eligible to compete in the male category.

Athletes that are deemed to be female at birth, as evidenced by the presence of XX chromosomes or the absence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a DSD where male androgenization does not occur, will be eligible to compete in the female category.

World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and its overriding priority is to ensure safety and competitive fairness to all athletes. To do this, it is essential that strict categories, determined by sex are maintained and enforced, and means that World Boxing will only operate competitions for athletes categorised as male or female.

Under the new policy, National Federations will be responsible for testing and will be required to confirm the sex of their athletes when entering them into World Boxing competitions by providing a certification of their chromosomal sex, as determined by a PCR test.

A failure to provide certification of the chromosomal sex of an athlete or the provision of a false certification, will render the athlete ineligible to compete and may lead to sanctions against the athlete and/or the athlete’s National Federation.

Where test results for boxers that want to compete in the female category reveal Y chromosome genetic material and a potential DSD, the initial screenings will be referred to independent clinical specialists for genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination or other valuation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists.

As part of its new policy World Boxing will reserve the right to do genetic sex screening on new or existing athlete samples to confirm certification.

The policy will include an appeals process. Support will be offered to any boxers that provide an adverse test result.

The new “Sex, Age and Weight” policy will come into force from in July 2025.

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

* This statement was updated on 6 June 2025.

World Boxing Announces 2026 Event Calendar and Bidding Timelines

May 28, 2025

World Boxing has announced the preliminary structure of the 2026 World Boxing competition calendar, as well as various key dates for national federations to enter the bidding process for World Boxing events. Within the preliminary 2026 World Boxing calendar, the organization has outlined 13 events, consisting of five confederation championship events, four World Boxing Cup events, two U19 Championship events, the Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympic Games.

Among the various World Boxing events on the schedule for 2026, there will be three separate timelines for World Boxing Cup events, World Boxing U19 events and Confederation Championship events. The bidding timelines for the three types of 2026 World Boxing events are listed below. An overview of the 2026 World Boxing Competition Calendar can be found at the bottom of this press release.

Key Dates – 2026 World Boxing Cup Bidding:

May 23, 2025 – World Boxing Cup Bidding Guidelines Announcement
July 1, 2025 – World Boxing Cup Bidding Deadline
August 1, 2025 – World Boxing Executive Board Approval
August 14, 2025 – Host City Agreements Signed
August 21, 2025 – Calendar is Finalized and Announced

Key Dates – 2026 U19 World Boxing Event Bidding:

June 13, 2025 – U19 World Boxing Futures Cup & U19 World Boxing Championships Bidding Guidelines Announcement
August 1, 2025 – Bidding Deadline for 2026 U19 Events
September 1, 2025 – World Boxing Executive Board Approval
September 14, 2025 – Host City Agreements Signed
September 21, 2025 – World Boxing U19 Calendar is Finalized and Announced

Key Dates – 2026 Confederation Championships Event Bidding:

June 13, 2025 – Confederation Championships Bidding Guidelines Announcement
August 1, 2025 – Bidding Deadline for Confederation Championships
September 1, 2025 – World Boxing Executive Board & Confederation Executive Board Approval
September 14, 2025 – Host City Agreements Signed
September 21, 2025 – Confederation Calendar is Finalized and Announced

2026 World Boxing Competition Calendar Overview
Month	Date	Month	Date	Organizer	Event Name	Country	Gender	Division
February	TBD	February	TBD	World Boxing	World Boxing Cup #1	TBD	M&W	Elite
March	TBD	March	TBD	World Boxing	U19 World Boxing Futures Cup	TBD	M&W	U19
April	TBD	April	TBD	World Boxing	World Boxing Cup #2	TBD	M&W	Elite
June	TBD	June	TBD	World Boxing	World Boxing Cup #3	TBD	M&W	Elite
July	23	August	2	CGF/WB	Commonwealth Games	Scotland	M&W	Elite
July/Aug.	TBD	July/August	TBD	World Boxing	U19 World Championships	TBD	M&W	U19
September	19	October	4	Confederation/WB	Asian Games	Japan	M&W	Elite
Aug.-Nov.	TBD	TBD	TBD	Confederation/WB	European Championships	TBD	M&W	Elite
Aug.-Nov.	TBD	TBD	TBD	Confederation/WB	Pan American Championships	TBD	M&W	Elite
Aug.-Nov.	TBD	TBD	TBD	Confederation/WB	African Championships	TBD	M&W	Elite
Aug.-Nov.	TBD	TBD	TBD	Confederation/WB	Oceanic Championships	TBD	M&W	Elite
October	31	November	13	World Boxing	Youth Olympic Games	Dakar	M&W	U19
End Nov./Early Dec.	TBD	TBD	TBD	World Boxing	World Cup Final (Qualified Event)	TBD	M&W	Elite

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

May 22, 2025

World Boxing has surpassed the landmark of 100 members after its Executive Board approved the applications of 17 National Federations, to take its total to 106 countries.

The latest cohort of countries to join World Boxing features some of the most famous and successful countries in Olympic-style boxing and includes Cuba, which has won 41 gold medals in the ring in 16 Games since it first competed at Rome 1960. Cuba is joined by Ireland, where boxing is by far the country’s most successful Olympic sport and accounts for 19 of the 42 medals it has won since 1924.

It means that (with the exception of Russia and the Soviet Union) World Boxing’s membership now includes the 10 most successful countries of all time in Olympic boxing and 10 of the top 11 medal winning countries from Paris 2024.

The full list of the National Federations that have had their applications approved is is:

Afghanistan National Boxing Federation
Austrian Boxing Federation
The Boxing Federation of Azerbaijan
Chilean Boxing Federation
Columbia Boxing Federation
Cuban Boxing Federation
Irish Athletic Boxing Association
Hong Kong Boxing Federation
Lebanese Boxing Federation
Federacion Mexicana De Boxeo
Macao Boxing Federation
Mauritius Boxing Federation
Royal Spanish Boxing Federation
Saudi Boxing Federation
Uganda Boxing Federation
United Arab Emirates Boxing Federation
Venezuela Boxing Federation

The 17 National Federations that have had their applications approved are eligible to enter teams into the World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool, 4-14 September 2025.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “To have surpassed the landmark of 100 National Federations in just over two years is a massive achievement and I would like to thank all of my colleagues and every one of our members for their support and their commitment to ensuring that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

“Our membership includes the vast majority of the world’s most successful countries in Olympic boxing. To be able to announce a name like Cuba, which is synonomous with Olympic boxing, at the same time as a country like Saudi Arabia, that has huge ambitions within the sport, is a resounding endorsement of World Boxing and clear evidence of the confidence that National Federations across the globe have in our ability to develop and grow the sport at all levels.”

The Chief Executive of the Saudi Boxing Federation, Mansour Naif Alsharif, added: “Joining World Boxing marks, a significant step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to elevate boxing nationally and internationally. We are committed to the Olympic movement and believe this partnership will help develop our athletes, align with global standards, and position the Kingdom as a rising force in the sport.”

The Chair of the IABA Board of Directors, Niall O’Carroll, commented: This is a watershed moment for Irish Boxing. Every kid in every boxing club in the Association deserves the Olympic dream – and their clubs have made sure that dream can live on, to LA 2028 and beyond, by voting to join World Boxing. Irish Boxing has always valued our Olympic journey – from our first team of 9 boxers at Paris 1924, to winning 19 medals over the last 100 years and maintaining our standing as Team Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport. We have more Olympic podiums to climb, and more medals to win. Our joining of World Boxing today ensures that.”

All of the new National Federations have completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing. They are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, able to demonstrate a transparent and open election process, the existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes, evidence of independent, structured, dispute resolution and appeals processes, formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport and a solid national and international boxing programme.

Under World Boxing’s Statutes, the approval of the Executive Board means the17 new National Federations have been endorsed for membership. Final approval of membership status can only be conferred by Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing, and will be voted on at its next Congress which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi in November 2025.

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

March 17, 2025

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 144^th 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)

March 13, 2025

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

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

March 12, 2025

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.

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 RESPONDS TO THE DECISION BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE IOC TO GRANT PROVISIONAL OLYMPIC RECOGNITION

February 26, 2025

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

Following the announcement today (26 February 2025), the President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “This is a very significant day for everyone connected with the sport of boxing in the Olympic Movement. Keeping its place at the Olympic Games is absolutely critical to the future of our sport at every level, from the grassroots to the highest echelons of professional boxing, and this decision by the IOC takes us one step closer to our objective of seeing boxing restored to the Olympic programme.

“It has taken a huge team effort from a large number of people across the globe to get to this point and none of it would 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 make this possible.

“Today’s decision by the IOC is an important milestone, however everyone connected with World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Movement is a privilege and a responsibility and not a right. There is still a lot of work to do, and everyone is as committed as ever to continuing to work together and doing everything within our power to deliver a better future for our sport and ensuring that boxing remains at heart of the Olympic Movement.”

The IOC’s decision was also welcomed by the former two-time unified world middleweight champion, Gennadiy Golovkin, who is the Chair of World Boxing’s Olympic Commission and the President of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan. World Boxing’s Olympic Commission was established in September 2024, to liaise with the IOC and support and assist the process of developing a pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored to the Games.

Speaking after today’s announcement by the IOC, Gennadiy Golovkin, who won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004, said: “Receiving provisional Olympic recognition from the IOC is an important achievement and demonstrates that our sport is on the right path. This decision brings us one step closer to our main goal – preserving boxing at the Olympic Games.

“I am pleased that through the continuous efforts of all the people who support World Boxing, we have managed to achieve this result. Establishing an international federation built on the principles of integrity and fairness is our shared mission for the future generation of athletes and future champions. There is still a lot to do to achieve all the goals set, so we will not stop here.”

The news was warmly received by a number of boxers that won Olympic medals in Paris and Tokyo.

Cindy Ngamba, who was the first refugee in history to win an Olympic medal, when she won Middleweight bronze at Paris 2024, added: “Having the opportunity to compete for the Refugee Team at Paris 2024 has transformed my career and my life and shows how important it is that boxers continue to have the opportunity to take part in the Olympic Games.

“The thought of being able to compete at the Olympics was one of the things that kept me going in difficult times and inspired me to pursue a career in boxing. It would be hugely damaging to the careers of male and female boxers across the world if this opportunity did not exist for them, so the decision by the IOC to provisionally recognise World Boxing is really good news for the sport as it keeps the Olympic dream alive.”

Richard Torrez Jr, who won a Super-heavyweight silver medal for the USA at Tokyo 2020 before turning professional with Top Rank, said: “It is impressive to see the continuous progress that World Boxing has made as an international federation in such a short time. Provisional recognition by the IOC is a very positive step and will enable the organisation to continue to provide a platform for boxers from across the globe to compete and hone their skills at the highest international levels. It is great to see this progress and I am confident that the organization is moving in the right direction.”

Tokyo 2020 gold medallist and current WBA, IBO and The Ring Welterweight World Champion, Lauren Price, who is also an Athlete Representative on the Executive Board of World Boxing commented: “It was always my dream to compete at the Olympic Games and nothing I achieve in my professional career will ever top the achievement of winning gold at Tokyo 2020.

“Competing and winning gold at the Olympics Games provided me with a platform that is enabling me to enjoy a successful career as a professional boxer. For up-and-coming boxers to be denied this opportunity would be damaging for their careers and the sport as a whole.

“World Boxing has consistently fought to ensure that boxers can continue to have the chance to compete on the highest stage in sport at the Olympic Games and it is very positive to hear that the IOC has decided to provisionally recognise World Boxing.

“Hopefully this will be the first step toward seeing boxing restored to the Olympic programme which will be a massive boost for the sport and the hopes and dreams of male and female boxers at all levels across the world.”