Press Release

‘A strong athlete voice makes the sport better for everyone’ Athletes Committee Chair Caitlin Parker on her plans in the role,World Boxing’s progress and the impact of becoming a mum

Caitlin Parker, Australia’s first ever female boxer to medal at an Olympic Games, has been named Chair of World Boxing’s Athletes Committee. Parker was re-elected to the Athletes Committee by her fellow boxers at the World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool.

We caught up with the Paris bronze medallist at the start of 2026 to discuss her goals, the importance of the Athletes Committee, World Boxing’s progress and more.

How did it feel to be named chair of the Athletes Committee?

I just felt really honoured, to be honest. And to be elected by my peers at the 2025 World Championships in Liverpool was special. And then to also have the committee members trust me as being the chair, is something I don’t take lightly.

I just want to do my best. I’ve been boxing most of my life, and now to be able to give back to the sport in a way that I can also advocate for athletes is important to me. It’s a responsibility that I’m really proud of.

What are your plans as chair?

One of the biggest priorities must be protecting boxing’s place in the Olympic Games and making sure athletes voices are genuinely heard. Also, to be included in all the decision-making processes, I’m really passionate about building an environment and a culture within the Australian team when I’ve been captain there.

That’s what I want to do with this committee and World Boxing, building that environment where athletes feel valued, supported and just proud to be a part of World Boxing. And that’s not just during competitions but through their entire journey in the sport.

How important do you think it is that athletes have a voice within the sport and the international federation?

It’s so essential, absolutely essential. Athletes are the heart of the sport. We live it. We live the rules, the competition schedules, the travel, the pressures every day, the literal blood, sweat and tears. A strong athlete voice makes the sport better for everyone.

World Boxing has come a long way in a short space of time and has been provisionally recognized by the IOC. What do you think are the main challenges facing the organization?

World Boxing has made massive progress in such a short period of time. The provisional IOC recognition was a massive step forward. The key challenge now is continuing to build that trust through good governance and continuing to have good transparency and consistency.

Across the whole the World Boxing community we need to be making sure that the systems in place put athletes first. World Boxing needs to be sustainable and bring together all National Federations and athletes with a shared vision of an Olympic future for the sport.

What impact do you think it will have that the new President of World Boxing comes from an athlete background and is as such a respected figure as Gennadiy Golovkin?

Obviously, having a president that comes from an athlete background is powerful. Gennadiy understands the realities of sport at the highest level and especially boxing. He knows what athletes actually have to experience in and out of the ring. The leadership that he can bring will create that credibility and trust straight away, I think, and will continue to do so for the athletes.

I think it sends a strong message that athletes matter and that their perspectives are valued at the very top of the organisation.

How has becoming a mum change your perspective as an athlete, and how do you think this can benefit the sport?

Becoming a mum has been the best thing ever. I feel like it’s made me a better person. It’s also given me perspective on purpose, that’s for sure. That’s a big one.

Also balance, I guess it it’s a bit of a reminder that, athletes are people. They have lives outside of competition and the support system that you have around you is really important. I think it can help shape a sport that better understands the athletes, I can support them through the different stages of life and create an environment where people can do well in the ring and out of the ring.

President of World Boxing Gennadiy Golovkin sets out plans for 2026 in New Year message to member National Federations

The President of World Boxing, Gennadiy Golovkin, has delivered a New Year message to its 152 members setting out his priorities for 2026 which are designed to “strengthen trust in the organisation, safeguard the values of boxing and build а modern, sustainable, and professional international federation that fully meets the expectations of the Olympic Movement and the wider international sporting community”.

The priorities cover a wide-range of areas and include an operational reorganisation; putting athletes at the centre of the World Boxing’s work; publishing a strategic roadmap for World Boxing through to  Brisbane 2032; an increased focus on competition integrity and officiating; plans for the increased adoption and usage of new technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI); integration with the Olympic calendar; increased commercial development; and plans to continue to grow membership and enhance relations with National Federations.

All of this is underpinned by a commitment to an open dialogue with National Federations and the willingness of the President to work directly to address concerns and issues.

The operational reorganisation will see World Boxing consolidate its activities at its office in Lausanne, Switzerland and establish an effective governance model based on transparency, accountability and efficient decision-making.

The next 12 months will also see World Boxing present its strategic roadmap for the period 2026-2032. The strategy will set-out plans for the long-term development of the organisation and include details on:

  • Strengthening the central role of athletes
  • Setting out a clear pathway to Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games
  • Ensuring long-term financial sustainability and transparency
  • Modernising statutory and regulatory frameworks
  • The launch of a global World Boxing Online Academy for sports managers, athletes, officials, coaches and Referees and Judges (R&Js)

Ensuring fairness and the integrity of competitions is central to the President’s vision for World Boxing and 2026 will see further progress in this area to develop officiating, enhance education and professional standards for referees and judges, and standardize procedures across competitions. It will also include the introduction of new technologies, including elements of AI, to enhance objectivity.

On this subject, the letter from the President states: “Integrity of Competition and Officiating Trust in competition results and fairness are the cornerstone of any sport. World Boxing will continue its systematic work to further improve transparency, and fairness in judging.”

The use of new technologies and AI will be a key driver of World Boxing’s modernisation over the next 12 months when it plans to implement advanced digital tools and AI solutions across both governance and analytical and competition-related processes, all of which will be designed to enhance efficiency, transparency and trust.

Commercial activities will be designed to build on boxing’s status as a globally recognised sport and increase the attractiveness, visibility and value of its competitions, while building sustainable partnerships that support long-term growth.  Relations with member National Federations will be enhanced by improving data management and the development new digital communications platforms.

The priorities are all underpinned by a commitment to putting the interests of athletes at the centre of World Boxing’s activities and a personal commitment from the new President to work closely with National Federations.

In the letter to National Federations, Gennadiy Golovkin says: “Athletes are the heart and purpose of World Boxing. We will consistently strengthen their roles within our governance framework, ensure transparent and fair selection and qualification pathways, and protect their rights and interests. Particular attention will be paid to athletes’ physical and mental well-being, as well as to their meaningful involvement in consultative and representative structures.

“You all know that l am а person of action rather than words. I intend to maintain constant contact with all our members and look forward to working closely with all of you in the year ahead and am confident that, together, we will lay а strong foundation for а sustainable and successful future for World Boxing. I wish all of us а strong, united, and successful 2026 – а year of hard work, real progress, and shared achievements.”

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan continue to lead the way in year-end World Boxing rankings

BOXERS from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan continue to lead the way in the year-end World Boxing Rankings published HERE with both countries having six boxers ranked number one in the world.

Uzbekistan remains dominant in the men’s categories where is has the number one boxer at 60kg, 65kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, and 90kg. Boxers from Kazakhstan, claim top spot in the four remaining men’s categories, at M50kg, M55kg, M70kg and M90kg+, and two of the women’s weight classes W70kg and W65kg where Aida Abikeyeva shares top spot with Chinese Taipei’s Olympic bronze medallist Chen Nien-Chen.

Other countries with boxers at the top of the pile in the women’s weights include Poland (W57kg and W80kg+), India (W48kg), Türkiye (W51kg), Chinese Taipei (W54kg), Brazil (W60kg), Ireland (W75kg) and Australia (W80kg).

The new rankings are the second set published by World Boxing and include a number of changes following the ‘World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 – Greater Noida’ in November where the success of the home nation, which topped the medal table with nine golds, has had an impact.

In the women’s light-flyweight division (W48kg), India’s Minakshi has risen to number one after securing gold in Greater Noida. It completed a dominant year for the World Boxing Champion who added another major title to her résumé with victories over Korea’s Chorong and Uzbekistan’s Farzona, to earn the maximum 300 ranking points.

At bantamweight (W54kg), India’s Preeti Preeti has entered the rankings at number eight after topping the podium in Great Noida, where she delivered the upset of the tournament, beating World Boxing Championships gold and bronze medallists, Hsiao-Wen Huang of Chinese Taipei and Sirine Charaabi of Italy, on-route to gold.

In the women’s middleweight (W75kg) division, Australia’s Emma Sue Greentree has moved into the top three after she upgraded her World Boxing Championships bronze to gold medal in Greater Noida where she beat Italy’s Melissa Gemini in a tense final.

In the men’s weights, Sachin Sachin of India delivered a big move climbing from 14th to ninth at lightweight (M60kg) after winning gold in Greater Noida, where he defeated Olympic silver medallist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan in the final.

Gold medal performances in India also saw two English boxers move up the rankings. At light-heavyweight (M80kg), Dimeji Shittu rose one place to sixth. At heavyweight (M90kg), Isaac Okoh went up six places from twelfth to sixth.

At the end of the year, the leading female boxer in the world is still Polish featherweight (W57kg), Julia Szeremeta, who has 2,075 points accrued from her performances at the World Boxing Championships 2025, the World Boxing Cup – Foz do Iguazu 2025 in Brazil and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

In the men’s weights Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov and Asadkhuja Muydinkhujiaev, who box at lightweight (M60kg) and welterweight (M65kg) respectively, are tied on 3,000 points, based on their gold medals at the recent World Boxing Championships in Liverpool and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The top five ranked male and female boxers at the end of 2025 are:

MALE BOXERSFEMALE BOXERS
 Boxer detailsPoints Boxer detailsPoints
1st =Abdumalik KHALOKOV, 60kg, UZB3,0001stJulia SZEREMETA, 57kg, POL2,075
1st =Asadkhuja MUYDINKHUJAEV, 65kg, UZB3,0002ndBuse CAKIROGLU, 51kg, TUR1,975
3rdErislandy ALVAREZ, 65kg, CUB2,1003rdJaismine JAISMINE, 57kg, IND1,950
4thAibek ORALBAY, 90kg+, KAZ2,0254thMinakshi MINAKSHI, 48kg, IND1,750
5th =Sanzhar TASHKENBAY, 50kg, KAZ1,6505thHsiao-Wen HUANG, 54kg, TPE1,875
5th =Makhmud SABYRKHAN, 55kg, KAZ1,650 
5th =Fazliddin ERKINBOEV, 75kg, UZB1,650
5th =Javokhir UMMATALIEV, 80kg, UZB1,650
5th =Turabek KHABIBULLAEV, 90kg, UZB1,650

The World Boxing Ranking Points are awarded for at Olympic Games, World Boxing Cups, World Boxing Championships, Continental Multi-Sport Games and the World Boxing Cup Finals.

They are then used for seeding boxers at competitions with the points issued on a 3-year cycle. Boxers may not accumulate ranking points from more than four competitions at a given time.

Full details on how the rankings are calculated, and the allocation of points, are available HERE.

Clubs benefit from equipment legacy of World Boxing Championships 

A number of England Boxing affiliated clubs have received a welcome boost with deliveries of Sting-branded boxing equipment, continuing the legacy of the successful World Boxing Championships held in Liverpool earlier this year. 

In partnership with Liverpool City Council, Brabners, Sting, UK Sport and GB Boxing, England Boxing has continued the event’s social impact programme, ensuring that communities across the city continue to benefit from the prestigious tournament long after the final bell. 

In total, 36 clubs have been awarded new equipment to help support their training and development work: 

  • 3 clubs received brand-new boxing rings 
  • 7 clubs were given bag rigs 
  • 26 clubs received competition glove and headguard equipment pack

Each club received one type of equipment (i.e. a club did not receive a ring and an equipment pack), ensuring that as many organisations as possible could share in the legacy. 

Meanwhile, remaining gloves and headguards have been donated to the Merseyside and Cheshire region, where they’ll be put to good use at regional shows and championships throughout the upcoming competition season. 

Louise Vidor, England Boxing’s Former Club & Community Manager (North) said: “After the Championships, we invited clubs to apply for equipment and worked to ensure it reached those who needed it most. Now, we’re rolling out a range of funded courses and new opportunities to further help clubs grow and thrive. And we’re not stopping there, we’ll keep working with communities across the country to help even more people step through the doors of their local boxing clubs and experience everything our sport has to offer.” 

The initiative builds on England Boxing’s commitment to ensuring that major events deliver a lasting, positive impact on grassroots boxing, helping clubs to continue changing lives in their local communities. 

Full allocation list: 

Equipment Pack
M&C Region
4 Corner
Boxing Fit
Dovecot
Gemini
Halewood
Halton
Hook & Jab
Huyton
JCs
Kirkby
Kirkdale
Marsh Lane
New Era
North Mersey
Old Swan
Phoenix Fire
Rainhill
Sefton
South Cheshire
Superbox
Title Shot
Transport
Tuebrook
Wallasey
Warrington
Wildcard
Ring
Bootle Maple Leaf
Seacombe ABC
West Wirral
Bag Rig
Anfield ABC
Croxteth ABC
Golden Star ABC
Knowsley Vale ABC
No Limits ABC
Salisbury ABC
Southport Stars ABC

Candidates announced for elections at World Boxing Congress 2025

17 candidates from 16 countries are due to contest elections for office at World Boxing’s third annual Congress in Rome on 23 November 2025.

The Congress will include elections for the office of President, one position as Vice-President and several other places on the World Boxing Executive Board. The Presidential election will not feature the current holder, Boris van der Vorst, who announced in September 2025 that he is not standing for a second term. 

The two candidates that have put their names forward for the Presidency are Gennadiy Golovkin from Kazakhstan and Mariolis Charilaos from Greece.

A former boxer, Gennadiy Golovkin, won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and the middleweight world title twice in a professional career made-up of 42 wins, two losses and a draw.  He is the President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee and has served as the Chair of World Boxing’s Olympic Commission since September 2024.

Mariolis Charilaos served as President of the Hellenic Boxing Federation from 2021 to

2025 where he implemented governance reforms with a strong focus on transparency, strengthened international partnerships, and the establishment of athlete-centred programmes.

In line with the processes set-out in World Boxing’s Statutes, Rules for Electoral Voting and Rules for Candidates of Elections (HERE), all of the candidates will need to be approved by an independent Vetting Panel to make it on to the ballot paper at Congress.  The Vetting Panel is made-up of three independent, external experts and supported by the leading independent provider of sport-specific arbitration and mediation services, Sport Resolutions.

A list of candidates and details of their relevant experience and expertise can be viewed HERE.

The Congress will be chaired by World Boxing Vice President, Dinah Glykidis and the elections overseen by an experienced, independent, third-party organisation. Scrutineers will be onsite to validate the veracity of the election processes and ensure candidates are treated in a fair and equitable manner.

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.

Weight categories confirmed for Glasgow 2026 which will be first ever Commonwealth Games to feature same number of weight classes for men and women

The weight categories for boxing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games have been confirmed by Commonwealth Sport and Glasgow 2026, with seven weight classes for both men and women.

The decision means that Glasgow 2026 will be the first ever Commonwealth Games to feature gender parity in weight classes. It comes 12 years after Glasgow 2014 was the first ever Commonwealth Games to feature female boxing, when it included three women’s weight categories.

Commonwealth Sport’s decision follows the approach adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and means that the seven men and women’s weight classes at Glasgow 2026, will be the same as those at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (LA28).

The seven weight classes are:

The announcement of the weight classes is designed to provide clarity to athletes and coaches across the Commonwealth and represents represents an important step in the build-up to Glasgow 2026 that will enable National Federations to finalise training and selection plans.’

The boxing tournament at Glasgow 2026 will be managed and overseen by World Boxing.

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.

First set of Rankings from World Boxing confirm Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as current leaders in Olympic-style boxing

The first set of world rankings for men and women published HERE by World Boxing have confirmed the status of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as the current leading nations in Olympic-style boxing.

Uzbekistan has 12 boxers (seven male and five female) in the top five in the world across the 20 weight categories; Kazakhstan is second with 11 (six men and five women). 

The next best performing nations are Türkiye which has eight boxers (seven female and one male) ranked in the top five across the 20 weight classes, Brazil with seven (three women and four men) and China which has six (four women and two men).  England, India and Japan all have five boxers ranked in the top five in the world.

When it comes to the top spots, Kazakhstan has the world number one in seven categories (three female and four male) while six men from Uzbekistan are ranked number one in the world.

Other countries that have a female boxer ranked number one in the world include Türkiye, Chinese Taipei, Brazil, Ireland, Australia and Poland which has two.  In the men’s weights all of the top ranked boxers are from Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan.

According to the rankings, the leading female boxer in the world is Polish featherweight (W57kg), Julia Szeremeta, who has 2,075 points accrued from her performances at the World Boxing Championships 2025, the World Boxing Cup – Foz do Iguazu 2025 in Brazil and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

In the men’s weights Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov and Asadkhuja Muydinkhujiaev, who box at lightweight (M60kg) and welterweight (M65kg) respectively, are tied on 3,000 points, based on their gold medals at the recent World Boxing Championships in Liverpool and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The top five ranked male and female boxers in the world are:

MALE BOXERSFEMALE BOXERS
 Boxer detailsPoints Boxer detailsPoints
1st =Abdumalik KHALOKOV, 60kg, UZB3,0001stJulia SZEREMETA, 57kg, POL2,075
1st =Asadkhuja MUYDINKHUJAEV, 65kg, UZB3,0002ndBuse CAKIROGLU, 51kg, TUR1,975
3rdErislandy ALVAREZ, 65kg, CUB2,1003rdRebeca DE LIMA SANTOS, 60kg, BRA1,837.5
4thAibek ORALBAY, 90kg+, KAZ2,0254thNazym KYZAIBAY, 51kg, KAZ1,750
5th =Sanzhar TASHKENBAY, 50kg, KAZ1,6505thHsiao-Wen HUANG, 54kg, TPE1,725
5th =Makhmud SABYRKHAN, 55kg, KAZ1,650 
5th =Fazliddin ERKINBOEV, 75kg, UZB1,650
5th =Javokhir UMMATALIEV, 80kg, UZB1,650
5th =Turabek KHABIBULLAEV, 90kg, UZB1,650

The Acting Secretary General of World Boxing, Mike McAtee, said: “One of our key priorities as the International Federation for boxing is to deliver a calendar of high-quality competition opportunities for the boxers from our member National Federations and the publication of the first set of World Boxing rankings is a manifestation of this.

“The rankings are based on a detailed methodology and are designed to provide an empirical measurement of performance over time that can be used to determine seedings at future competitions and Championships and multis-port events.”

The World Boxing rankings are for senior elite boxers and are calculated on a three-year, rolling point system which began with the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.  To be included in the rankings, a boxer needs to have competed in at least one World Boxing sanctioned event. 

Ranking points are awarded for performance in World Boxing Challenge events, World Boxing Cups, World Boxing Cup Finals, World Boxing Championships and the Olympic Games.  In future, performances in Continental Championships will also be eligible for ranking points.

The competitions that contributed to this first set of rankings are:

  • Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Under PBU regulations)
  • World Boxing Cup Finals – Sheffield, England 2024
  • World Boxing Challenge – Tammer Tampere, Finland 2024
  • World Boxing Cup – Foz do Iguazu, Brazil 2025
  • World Boxing Challenge – Usti, Czechia 2025
  • World Boxing Cup – Astana, Kazakhstan 2025
  • World Boxing Championships – Liverpool, England 2025

Full details on how the rankings are calculated and the allocation of points are available HERE.

The World Boxing rankings will be used to determine seedings at World Boxing’s major Elite competitions, including the World Boxing Championships, Continental Boxing Championships, Multi-Sport Games, World Boxing Cup Finals and others.

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.

Oceania Boxing Confederation elects Beulah Daunakamakama from Fiji as first President at its inaugural Congress in Fiji

The newly established Oceania Boxing Confederation has elected Beulah Daunakamakama from Fiji as its first President at its inaugural Congress in Fiji.

The establishment of the new Confederation, which is affiliated to World Boxing, marked the beginning of a new era for the sport in Oceania aimed at strengthening and promoting boxing in the region.

The Congress was hosted by the Fiji Amateur Boxing Association and attended by the National Federations for boxing from Aotearoa, Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tuvalu.

It was chaired by Dinah Glykidis, Chief Executive of Boxing Australia and a Vice President of World Boxing and included welcomes from Kathy Wong, President of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) and Board Member of the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC), and Ratu Meli Nacuva, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Government of Fiji).

The business of Congress included the ratification of Oceania Boxing’s Statutes, and elections for the Executive Board, including the position of President and two Vice Presidents. The election process was scrutinised by FASANOC to ensure it was fair and transparent.

The full list of people elected to the Executive Board include:

  • President: Beulah Daunakamakama (Fiji)
  • Vice President (1): Phil Goodes (Australia)
  • Vice President (2): Tavui Mike Lemisio (Samoa)
  • Board Members: Ishmael Tahiata (French Polynesia), Lefau Francis Joseph Ainuu (Samoa), and Ms Manaema Saitala (Tuvalu – subsequently co-opted)
  • Chair of Sports and Competition Committee: Scott Bindloss (Kiribati)
  • Treasurer (Chair of Audit & Finance Committee): Vacant
  • One additional Board position remains vacant.

In speeches during the Congress, delegates expressed appreciation to World Boxing for its ongoing support in maintaining the Olympic pathway for athletes and enabling the revitalisation of boxing in the Oceania region.

The Congress also extended thanks to the current President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, for his support in helping Oceania to establish the new Confederation.

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.