Press Release

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.

World Boxing relocates Congress 2025 to Rome

World Boxing’s forthcoming Congress has been relocated to Rome in Italy.

It follows discussions between World Boxing and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) who reached a mutual decision to relocate the Congress, that will now be held in Rome, Italy, on 23 November 2025.

The Congress will include elections for the Presidency and a number of other Executive Board positions along with a series of other votes on World Boxing business.

The decision to relocate the Congress does not impact the forthcoming World Boxing Cup Finals which will take place in New Delhi over five days of competition from 17-22 November 2025.

World Boxing’s Acting Secretary General, Mike McAtee, explained: “The World Boxing Congress is one of the most significant events in the calendar and following discussions with the BFI, we reached a mutual agreement to separate this from the forthcoming World Boxing Cup Finals which will take place around the same time.

“We would like to thank the Italian Boxing Federation for offering to host the Congress and have no doubt this will be a fantastic occasion and a great opportunity for the World Boxing family to come together again.”

The President of the Boxing Federation of India, Ajay Singh said: “After positive discussions with our colleagues at World Boxing, we have mutually agreed to relocate the Congress to Italy. The decision was guided by logistical factors—such as travel-processing timelines—so that all delegates can participate smoothly.

“We will continue working hand-in-hand on the World Boxing Cup Finals and are focused on delivering a best-in-class event. The BFI is fully committed to a long-term relationship with World Boxing and to constructive collaboration with World Boxing and other National Federations.”

The President of the Italian Boxing Federation, Flavio D’Ambrosi added: “We are honoured that Italy will be the host of such an important event as the first World Boxing Congress after recognition by the IOC. We will do everything to ensure the best conditions for run smoothly and I hope that the participating delegates can appreciate our hospitality as well as recognize with full satisfaction that Italy is a country that can host major sport events.

“I thank the World Boxing Board and am aware that we are hosting a historic and very important moment for the entire Olympic boxing movement. We will work hard and do everything responsibly to host delegates, authorities and participants in the right way giving to them the chance to express their membership to World Boxing and freely choose the governance that will guide us for the Los Angeles 2028 challenge.”

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 President Boris van der Vorst will not stand for a second term in upcoming Presidential election at Congress on November 2025

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, will not stand for a second term in the forthcoming Presidential election which will be held at World Boxing’s third annual Congress in November 2025.

The decision was announced by Boris van der Vorst in a personal letter to the Presidents of all of World Boxing’s member National Federations today (Thursday 18 September 2025).

In the letter, van der Vorst wrote: “I am writing to you personally to confirm that after long and careful deliberations I have made the decision to not seek re-election as the President of World Boxing and will not be standing as a candidate in the forthcoming election at World Boxing’s third annual Congress in November 2025.”

The letter went on to highlight the major achievements of World Boxing under van der Vorst’s tenure as President, which include: growing its membership to more than120 National Federations from all five Continents; establishing an annual competition calendar that recently included the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 for elite men and women; and securing provisional recognition for World Boxing from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which, in March 2025, resulted in the reinstatement of boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games (LA28).

Commenting on these in his letter, van der Vorst wrote: That we have achieved our primary objective of keeping boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement is a source of huge pride and the realization of a dream.

“It was only possible thanks to the support and close cooperation of many colleagues from every continent.  Many of those colleagues will be reading this letter and I am deeply grateful to all of you.”

Explaining the reasons for his decision not to seek re-election, van der Vorst added: “My time as President has been fulfilling and inspiring, but it has also been relentless.  After years of global travel and the daily demands of building World Boxing from the ground up to meet the requirements of the IOC and other stakeholders, I have concluded that I will not commit to another term as President.

“World Boxing is firmly established and recognised, and it is time for new leadership to guide the organisation towards Dakar 2026 and Los Angeles 2028.”

A statement from the Executive Board of World Boxing said: “The Executive Board would like to thank Boris for his hard work and commitment over the last three years and the vital contribution he has made to the achievements of World Boxing in helping to establish the organisation and in his tenure as its first President.

“Boris has played a key role in enabling World Boxing to secure recognition as the International Federation for boxing within the Olympic Movement and the subsequent reinstatement of the sport at the Games in Los Angeles.  In being part of this, he has helped to keep the Olympic dream alive for tens of thousands of male and female boxers across the world and ensure that they will have the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in sport.

“We wish Boris and his family all the very best for the future and in whatever he goes on to do once his term as President has come to an end.”

The window for nominating candidates to take part in elections at the World Boxing Congress in November is now closed.  In line with the processes set-out in World Boxing’s ‘Election process And Voting Regulations’ policy HERE all of the candidates will be assessed for eligibility by an independent Vetting Panel using open-source materials. 

The Vetting Panel is made-up of three independent, external experts that do not have any involvement or knowledge of World Boxing and will be supported by the leading independent provider of sport-specific arbitration and mediation services, Sport Resolutions.

Once the vetting process has been completed a final list of eligible candidates will be published no later than 30 days before the elections take place.

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

Queensberry Promotions partners with World Boxing for inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool

One of the world’s leading boxing promoters, Queensberry Promotions, has agreed a partnership with World Boxing as part of the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025, in Liverpool. 4 -14 September 2025.

The decision is a sign of Queensberry’s desire to support the sport at every level from the grassroots amateur scene to the highest echelons of professional boxing. 

Many of the best-known boxers such as Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois, Joshua Buatsi, Moses Itauma and Nicola Adams, that have been promoted by Queensberry in high profile fights in recent years, enjoyed successful careers in the amateur ranks and this link-up is a sign of its ongoing commitment to every tier of boxing.

“Having such a prestigious tournament as the World Boxing Championships taking place in Liverpool makes it a landmark event that I am delighted Queensberry is providing backing for,” said Frank Warren, Queensberry Promotions Founder and Chairman.

“I know that so much hard work has been put in to make this inaugural Championships a major success and Liverpool will be playing host to elite fighters from right across the globe.

“Competitions like this are the bedrock of boxing and it is where the public can identify the future stars of the sport. I am thrilled to have Queensberry associated with the pinnacle of amateur boxing.”

World Boxing’s Chief Operating Officer, Simon Toulson, said: “It is great to have the support of Queensberry Promotions as we head-in into our inaugural World Boxing Championships.  Queensberry’s decision to partner with World Boxing is a great endorsement of our work and the confidence they have in World Boxing as the International Federation for the sport.”

The Chair of the Steering Group of the Local Organising Committee of the World Boxing Championships 2025, Jason Harborow, said: “Having the support of one of the world’s leading boxing promoters, that has been involved in some of the biggest global fights of recent years, is a sign of how significant an event the World Boxing Championships is.

“This is the place where many people will get their first look at some of the men and women that will become the global superstars of the future, so it is great that Queensberry wants to be a part of this and recognises the importance of supporting Olympic-style boxing and the grassroots, which is the lifeblood of the sport.”

More than 500 men and women from over 60 countries will compete in the World Boxing Championships which is the biggest Olympic-style boxing event ever held in the UK. It will feature competition in 10 weight classes for men and women and be the first time ever that male and female boxers have competed in Olympic-style boxing at the same event for the title of World Boxing Champion.

The competition schedule is available HERE and provides details of the weight classes that will box on each day of the competition and enables fans to buy tickets for the specific sessions where they want to watch boxers compete in particular weight categories.

Tickets for the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 are on sale now with Adult tickets priced at £15 and Concessions £5 (U16, OAPs, Students and those in receipt of benefits).  For tickets, the schedule and all the latest news and info about the Championships visit www.worldboxingliverpool.com.

World Boxing confirms mandatory sex testing will apply in the female category at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025

New eligibility policy introduces mandatory sex testing for all World Boxing competitions

World Boxing has introduced mandatory sex testing, to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes that want to participate in its competitions as part of a new eligibility policy published HERE today.

The policy is designed to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women and means 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 once-in-a-lifetime PCR (polymerase chain reaction) of functional medical equivalent genetic screening test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete.

The new policy comes into effect from 20 August 2025 and will be applied in the female category at the forthcoming World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, 4-14 September 2025.

It means that all athletes who wish to take part in the 10 female weight categories at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool will need to undergo a PCR or functional medical equivalent genetic screening test to certify their eligibility to box.

World Boxing’s policy on ‘Sex Eligibility’ has been crafted by a Working Group of its Medical and Anti-Doping Committee which examined medical evidence from a range of sources and spent nearly 12 months consulting with experts and studying legal, societal and sporting developments relating to the issue of eligibility by sex.

Under the policy, World Boxing will operate two categories as determined by sex: a men’s category and a women’s category.  To be eligible for the men’s category, a competitor must be male at birth. To be eligible for the women’s category, a competitor must be female at birth.

Participation in either category will be determined by a PCR or functional medical equivalent genetic screening test to determine sex at birth. The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, which reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, that is an indicator of biological sex. The test can be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood.

Athletes 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 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.

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 or functional medical equivalent genetic screening 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 its National Federation.

Where test results for boxers that want to compete in the female category reveal Y chromosome genetic material and a potential Difference of Sexual Development (DSD), the initial screenings will be referred to World Boxing’s expert medical panel for genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination or other valuation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists. The policy includes an appeals process, and support will be offered to any boxers that provide an adverse test result.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible, yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.

“It has been a long and detailed process, but it was vital that we examined all of the medical, legal and sporting issues raised by this issue and I am confident that in introducing testing to certify the eligibility of an athlete to compete as a male or female, the new policy on ‘Sex Age and Weight’ will deliver sporting integrity and protect the safety of all participants.

“We recognise that the issues relating to eligibility in boxing are more pronounced in the women’s events which is why we have made the decision to implement the policy in the female category first, where it will apply for the forthcoming World Boxing Championships and this was communicated to all of our member National Federations some time ago, to enable them to begin the process of testing.

“I would like to thank the members of the Working Group for their hard work in developing and creating this policy over the last year and am grateful for the ongoing support of our member National Federations for their commitment and assistance in implementing it.”

World Boxing’s decision to prioritise testing in the female category is based on a recognition that the issues of safety and sporting integrity in relation to eligibility are most pronounced in women’s boxing. Testing will be applied for boxers in the male category at all World Boxing competitions from 1 January 2026.

This will mean that from 1 January 2026, all athletes over the age of 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a, once-in-a-lifetime, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or a functional medical equivalent genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete.

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.