Press Release

World Boxing to hold inaugural Congress in Frankfurt am Main on 24 and 25 November 2023

World Boxing, the new international federation established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement, will hold its inaugural Congress at the Mainarcaden Venue in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on 24 and 25 November 2023.

The Congress will host World Boxing’s first ever elections when members will vote for a range of offices including President, Vice President (VP) and places on World Boxing’s Executive Board along with the Chairs of the Sport and Competition Committee, the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.

Frankfurt am Main has been specifically chosen as the location for World Boxing’s first elections owing to its historical significance as the cradle of the German democratic movement and the place (Frankfurter Nationalversammlung) where the first freely elected parliament for all German states first sat in May 1848.

All of the National Federations that have joined World Boxing will be eligible to take part in the Congress and vote in the elections which have received more than 40 nominations, from 18 countries across four continents, for the Executive positions.

In line with the processes set-out in World Boxing’s Statutes, Rules for Electoral Voting and Rules for Candidates of Elections (HERE), the candidates are currently being assessed for eligibility by an independent Vetting Panel. The Vetting Panel is made-up of three independent, external experts that do not have any involvement or knowledge of World Boxing and is 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 in October 2023, no later than 30 days before the elections take place.

World Boxing’s members will have two or three votes depending on their compliance with the voting rules detailed in World Boxing’s statutes (HERE).

The elections will be overseen by an experienced, independent, third-party organisation.  Scrutineers will be onsite to ensure the veracity of the election processes and that candidates are treated in a fair and equitable manner.

Simon Toulson, Secretary General, World Boxing, said: “Hosting its inaugural Congress and holding open, fair and transparent elections will be a significant milestone in the evolution of World Boxing and demonstrate that the organisation is delivering on its commitment to the principles of integrity, honesty and excellence.  

“We have a number of excellent candidates and the support we have received from high calibre National Federations to participate in the Congress is a clear indication of the desire for change and determination to deliver a better future that exists across international boxing.

“By holding its first elections in a city which is so historically linked to the principles of democratic process, we aim to send out a strong signal about the way that World Boxing will operate and the values that it stands for as an organisation.”

The Secretary General of the German Boxing Association, Michael Mueller, added: “Hosting this inaugural Congress in Germany is a sign of our federation’s commitment to supporting the goals of World Boxing and working closely with this new international federation and all of our fellow members to ensure the future of Olympic boxing for all our athletes.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

World Boxing boosts its Executive Board with a two new appointments

World Boxing, the new international federation established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement, has added two new members to its Executive Board (EB), Dinah Glykidis, Chief Executive of Boxing Australia and Marketa Haindlova, who is the Founder and Principal of an International Law Firm specialising in sport.

The pair have extensive experience in a wide variety of sports executive roles and were unanimously appointed following a request by World Boxing to National Federations asking them to nominate individuals with the skills and expertise to make a positive contribution to the work of the EB.

Dinah Glykidis has been the CEO of Boxing Australia for three years and is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of the organisation.   Under her leadership, the federation has made progress in a number of areas including improvements in the provision of medical services, the introduction of new committees, the establishment of partnerships to improve governance and regulation and the creation of new initiatives to enhance Boxing Australia’s pathways programme.

JUDr. Marketa Vochoska Haindlova LL.M. is an attorney and sports executive.  She is the founder and principal of an international law firm, Marketa Haindlova, specialising in sports law and has specific expertise in governance and dispute resolution.  In parallel to her legal practice, Marketa has extensive executive experience in governance and sports diplomacy and has previously served as Chair of the Board of Appeal and Review of the Football Association of the Czech Republic.  She co-founded the Czech Association of Football Players and is a member of the Expert Group of the National Council for Sport, a Board member of both the National Court of Arbitration for Sport in the Czech Republic and the FIFPRO Division Europe Executive Board.  Since July 2023, she has been a member of the UEFA Fair Play and Social Responsibility Committee.

The new additions mean World Boxing’s EB is made-up of 12 men and women from 9 countries across four continents.  It includes two Athlete Representatives: Tokyo 2020, middleweight gold medallist, Lauren Price from Wales, and the USA’s super-heavyweight silver medallist, Richard Torrez Jr. 

The 12 men and women will serve as members of the EB on an interim basis until the organisation’s inaugural Congress in November 2023 when they will have the opportunity to stand for election to the EB, which will be voted-on by the membership of World Boxing.

Dinah Glykidis, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Boxing Australia, said: “It is vitally important that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement and I am delighted to have the opportunity to play my part in making sure this happens.  World Boxing offers hope of a better future for everyone connected with the sport and I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to create an international federation that we can all be proud of that puts the interests of boxers at the heart of decision making.”

Marketa Haindlova commented: “Boxing is one of the world’s most traditional sports and has always been an integral and valued member of the world’s sport community. Many international sport organizations today face significant challenges and threats and I am very proud to be part of an organisation, in World Boxing, that is proactively addressing these while embracing the key values of fair play and transparent governance. World Boxing has been set-up to preserve the integrity of boxing and enable it to grow and I look forward to contributing to this process.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.  It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

World Boxing announces four more members

The National Federations for boxing in Denmark, Mongolia, Panama and French Polynesia have been confirmed as the latest four members of World Boxing, the new international federation established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic movement and support the growth and development of the sport at local, regional, national and international levels.

The addition of four more countries means World Boxing now has 16 members. 

Mongolia, which has a proud tradition in boxing and has won seven Olympic medals since 1988, is the first National Federation from Asia to join World Boxing and means it now has members from five continents.

The National Federation for French Polynesia is a new organisation that has been approved by the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) and Sports Ministry.  It has never been affiliated to IBA and is the first National Federation to be recognised by World Boxing that has not been a member of IBA.

All of the members have completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing. They are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, able to demonstrate:

  • A transparent and open election process for the appointment of office bearing roles
  • The existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes
  • Evidence of a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process that is either fully independent or subject to external input
  • Formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport
  • Have a solid national and international boxing sports programme

The applications were approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing and will be ratified at the organisation’s inaugural Congress in November 2023.

All of World Boxing’s members will be invited to attend the Congress and have had the opportunity to nominate candidates for the offices of President, Vice President (VP) and places on World Boxing’s Executive Board and the Chairs of the Sport and Competition Committee, the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.  All full members will have voting rights at the Congress.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, said: “This is the third cohort of countries to join World Boxing in the last month and is a sign of both the desire for change that exists across the sport and the recognition by National Federations of the critical importance of boxing remaining at the heart of the Olympic movement.

“We have letters of intent from a healthy number of National Federations that plan to join World Boxing and are currently processing a backlog of additional membership applications, so it is clear that there are many countries that want to work with an international federation that is committed to integrity, honesty and excellence and creating a better future for the sport.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.  It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

The first cohort of World Boxing members was made-up of USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, GB Boxing, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation.  They were joined in August 2023 by the National Federations for boxing in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Honduras and Sweden.

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

More than 40 candidates will compete in elections for Executive positions at World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023

World Boxing, the new international federation established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement, has received more than 40 nominations for Executive positions when elections take place at its inaugural Congress in November 2023.

The nominations, which include 11 female candidates, cover a range of offices including President, Vice President (VP) and places on World Boxing’s Executive Board along with the Chairs of the Sport and Competition Committee, the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.

The nominations come from 18 countries spread across four continents and mean that every Executive position and role as Committee Chair will be contested when members vote in November.  

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 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.

Details of the World Boxing’s inaugural Congress will be announced in early September 2023.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, said: “Open, fair and transparent elections are a central element of World Boxing’s commitment to operating to the highest standards of governance. 

“To receive such a strong response to World Boxing’s call for candidates is a clear indication of the desire for change that exists within international boxing, and it is a very positive sign to see that every office bearing position within the organisation will be contested by a diverse range of candidates at the inaugural Congress.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

World Boxing announces six more members

The National Federations for boxing in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Honduras and Sweden have completed the process to become members of World Boxing, the new international federation that has been established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement. 

The addition of these six countries means World Boxing now has 12 members spread across four continents. 

USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, GB Boxing, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation were confirmed as World Boxing’s first cohort of members in early August 2023.

All of the members have completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing and are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, able to demonstrate:

  • A transparent and open election process for the appointment of office bearing roles
  • The existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes
  • Evidence of a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process that is either fully independent or subject to external input
  • Formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport
  • Have a solid national and international boxing sports programme

The applications were approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing and will be ratified at the organisation’s inaugural Congress in November 2023.

All of World Boxing’s members will be invited to attend the Congress in November 2023 and have the opportunity to nominate candidates for offices within the new international federation including the Presidency and Executive Committee and membership of Committees and Commissions.  The full members will have voting rights at the Congress.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, commented: “World Boxing continues to attract high calibre National Federations that want to emulate our principles and endorse our policies to put the boxers first and operate with rigorous governance practices.    Becoming a member takes time as it is a detailed and meticulous process to ensure that a National Federation is suitable for our organisation.

“We are receiving more and more interest and requests from National Federations and boxing organisations to join World Boxing on a weekly basis and currently have a number of applications from those wanting to join or going through the membership application process.

“The governance foundations of World Boxing are now set which will culminate in the Inaugural Congress in November.  The quality of National Federations that have joined and those waiting to join World Boxing coupled with the hosting of tournaments that are partnered and associated with World Boxing means we are on track to reach our initial objectives of the organisation whilst pursuing the overall goal of keeping boxing in the Olympic Games.”

World Boxing was publicly launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.  It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond. 

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

World Boxing appoints Professor Jack Anderson as first Ethics Chief

World Boxing, the new international federation established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement, has appointed Professor Jack Anderson, as its first Ethics Chief.

Anderson has more than 25 years’ experience in legal practice and sports arbitration.  He is currently the legal counsel in integrity regulation at Racing Victoria, where he is on extended leave (2022-2025) from Melbourne Law School, having served as its Professor and Director of Sports Law Studies since 2017.

As World Boxing’s Ethics Chief, Anderson will advise on issues and disagreements related to governance and operations; review policies and programmes to ensure they are consistent with World Boxing’s ethics and values; respond to complaints and enquiries of an ethical nature; bring forward issues of ethical importance to the Executive Board and Secretary General; and ensure World Boxing’s operational activities are ethical, fair and transparent.

In this independent position, he will be the first point of contact for all issues and determine, in the first instance, if a complaint is required to be elevated to the approved World Boxing independent third-party organisation for further action or can be dealt with reasonably and fairly within the existing governance remit of the organisation.   The full Terms of Reference for the role of World Boxing’s Ethics Chief can be viewed HERE. 

Anderson was nominated for the role by an independent three-person panel and his appointment was ratified by the Executive Board of World Boxing. His initial appointment runs until the end of 2023 when he will have the opportunity to be re-appointed by the new Executive Board that will be elected at World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, said: “Strong governance, ethical practices and independent, third-party oversight are central to everything that World Boxing stands for as an international federation and the role of the Ethics Chief is a vital part of making sure that these philosophies are ingrained into the day-to-day operations of the organisation.

“Jack has an outstanding track record in sports legal practice and we have no doubt that he will play an important role in enabling World Boxing to deliver the high standards of governance, transparency and ethical practice that we believe all international federations should aspire to.”

Jack Anderson added: “I am impressed by World Boxing’s commitment to transparency, integrity and strong governance and look forward to working with them. A sport with clear and sound ethical values, and the courage to pursue those who do not respect such standards, best protects its athletes. It also promotes greater confidence in the image and integrity of that sport helping it reach new audiences and secure its future.”   

Born in Ireland, Anderson lectured at the Queen’s University Belfast for 13 years before taking up the role of Professor and Director of Sports Law Studies at the University of Melbourne in 2017.

His primary research interest is the relationship between sport and the law. Professor Anderson has published widely in sports law including books such as The Legality of Boxing (Routledge, 2007) and, most recently, Sports Law: A Concise Introduction (Edward Elgar, 2023).

He is a member of the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Integrity Unit; the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Ethics Commission; and a subject expert on the Asia Racing Federation’s Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime.

Formerly an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration for Sport, he now sits on World Athletics’ Disciplinary Tribunal, Football Australia’s NDRC and the National Sports Tribunal of Australia.

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.  It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme. 

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

World Boxing announces first six members

USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, GB Boxing, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation have been confirmed as the first six official members of World Boxing, the new international federation, established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement and support the growth and development of the sport at local, regional, national and international levels.

All six countries have completed a rigorous application process and been approved as members by the Executive Board of World Boxing. 

The application process for National Federations to become members of World Boxing is overseen by the Secretary General, Simon Toulson, and designed to ensure that all applicants are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, are able to demonstrate:

  • A transparent and open election process for the appointment of office bearing roles
  • The existence and operation of WADA-recognsied anti-doping polices and processes
  • Evidence of a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process that is either fully independent or subject to external input
  • Formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport

As each country’s recognised National Federation for the sport, USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation have been granted full membership status.  GB Boxing has been granted Associate Membership as it is reponsible for managing Great Britain’s elite, World Class Programme (WCP) and taking the team to tournaments, such as the European Games and the Olympic Games, where boxers from England, Scotland and Wales compete as Great Britain.

All six members will attend World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023 and have the opportunity to nominate candidates for offices within the new international federation including the Presidency and Executive Committee and membership of Committees and Commissions.  The five full members will have voting rights at the Congress.

The President of USA Boxing and a member of World Boxing’s Interim Executive Board, Tyson Lee, said:  “It is very pleasing to see that the first cohort of World Boxing members includes National Federations from three continents as it is vital that World Boxing is a truly global endeavour with nations from across the world playing a role in contributing to the creation of a better future for the sport and everyone connected to it, based on collaboration, consultation and consensus.

“We look forward to working with World Boxing and all current and future members to create a global sporting structure that puts the interest of boxers first and operates with rigorous governance practices designed to deliver fairness and sporting integrity.”

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, explained: “Transparency and rigorous governance is central to the way we operate as an organisation and all of the new members have been through a detailed and meticulous process to secure membership.

“We are currently processing a number of applications, which can be time consuming and take several weeks, so it is important that all National Federations who want to nominate candidates and vote in World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023 make their membership applications soon or they may miss the deadline for being able to participate in this event.” 

World Boxing will be writing to all National Federations this week (w/c 7 August 2023) to invite them to apply and nominate candidates for the office bearing positions of World Boxing by 25 August 2023. 

All nominations will be vetted by an independent third-party and the final list of approved candidates will be published in October 2023 – 30 days before the inaugural Congress.  To be eligible to stand for election, all candidates must represent a National Federation or organisation that is a member of World Boxing.

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.  It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond. 

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

Report

Two-time Olympic medallist and boxing pioneer Nouchka Fontijn backs World Boxing to ensure the sport remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement

Two-time Olympic medallist, Nouchka Fontijn, has pledged her support for World Boxing and its aim of ensuring boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

One of the leading pioneers in driving the growth of women’s boxing globally, Fontijn won middleweight (75kg) silver for the Netherlands at Rio 2016 and followed this with a bronze at Tokyo 2020.  Her final against the USA’s Claressa Shields in Rio remains one of the most watched women’s boxing bouts of all-time.

In a highly decorated career, Fontijn also won four world championship medals (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019) and three European championship medals which included golds at in Bucharest in 2014 and Sofia in 2018.  She also took gold at the 2015 European Games in Baku and silver at the 2019 event in Minsk.

Fontijn’s support for World Boxing reflects her recognition of the importance of the sport remaining in the Olympic Games and a desire for greater sporting integrity in the refereeing and judging of contests.

Fontijn said: “The IOC’s inclusion of women’s boxing into the Olympic program has done so much for women’s boxing development. 

“Millions of girls around the world have been inspired to step into the ring and already at the 2016 Rio Olympics the bout between Claressa Shields and myself was the most watched boxing match of that competition.

“Remaining a part of the Olympics is a great privilege that boxing administrators have to cherish by preserving competition integrity and ensuring fair bout decisions.

“I look forward to a new chapter in boxing history, free of corruption and controversy that has plagued our sport for so long.”

Fontijn’s support for World Boxing echoes that of her great rival, Lauren Price of Wales and Team GB, who is an Athlete Representative on the Interim Executive Board of World Boxing.

Prior to Fontijn’s retirement, following a narrow loss to Price in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic semi-final, the pair enjoyed a fierce rivalry as the two most dominant boxers in the women’s middleweight division between 2017 and 2021.

Fontijn defeated Price in the semi-finals of the 2018 world championships in New Delhi and European championships of the same year.  The Welsh women gained revenge with victories in the finals of the 2019 European Games in Minsk and that year’s world championship final in Ulan-Ude.

2020 Olympic middleweight champion, Lauren Price, added: “Nouchka was one of the toughest opponents I ever faced.  We were rivals but we had great respect for each other. 

“She was a great competitor and a real role model for women’s boxing.  Like me, she knows how important it is that boxing remains part of the Olympic Games and it is no surprise to see that she is backing World Boxing.”