Press Release

World Boxing meets the International Olympic Committee to start Olympic Journey

World Boxing reached an important milestone in its development by attending its first formal meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the goal to ensure boxing is in the Olympic Games for LA28. 

Monday’s meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland at the Olympic House, headquarters of the IOC, between the key figures from the IOC and World Boxing addressed the pathway for the future of boxing at the Olympic Games. 

As of today, boxing is not on the Olympic Programme for LA 28 which is an alarming fact for all involved in boxing. During the meeting the IOC clearly indicated that the new International Federation had to be supported by a global body of National Federations and the new International Federation had to show evidence of proper governance and leadership for the sport for the IOC to consider to put boxing back on the Olympic programme of LA28. 

Currently World Boxing is the only suitable International Federation to fulfil this mandate and is grateful to the IOC for starting a formal dialogue and outlining a future pathway to keep the sport in the Olympic Games. 

Boris van der Vorst, World Boxing President stated after the meeting, “Once again, we thank the IOC for their commitment and perseverance with boxing in the Olympic Games having run two Olympic editions themselves. Now it is time for World Boxing and National Federations to learn from their best practices and applied ethical principles.” 

“It is clearly imperative that those boxing nations interested to compete in the Olympic Games in the future need to show urgently their intent and commitment to the Olympic Games by joining World Boxing and retaining boxing at the Olympic Games. Otherwise, the loss of boxing’s Olympic status would be our worst nightmare.” 

World Boxing was launched in April 2023. 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. In November 2023, World Boxing held its inaugural Congress in Frankfurt where it conducted open, transparent and fair elections which saw members vote to elect a President and Executive Board. 

Statement from World Boxing following the decision by CAS to uphold the IOC’s decision to withdraw recognition of IBA

 “World Boxing welcomes the decision by CAS to withdraw recognition of IBA and the subsequent comments by the IOC in which it expressed a desire to partner with a new International Federation that is committed to ‘good governance, the integrity of competitions, transparency of finances and accounts, and autonomy’. 

“That International Federation is World Boxing. The decision by CAS and the comments from the IOC send a clear and unambiguous message to all National Federations that if they want boxers from their country to have the life-changing opportunity to continue to compete at future Olympic Games then they must now support and seek to join World Boxing, which is the last remaining hope for the sport to retain its status as an Olympic sport beyond Paris 2024. 

“There is no alternative and the IOC has made it clear that the ‘National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Boxing Federations hold the future of Olympic boxing in their own hands’. 

“Any National Federation or NOC that continues to think its boxers will have an Olympic future elsewhere and without joining World Boxing is making a grave error that will be ruinous for the sport and hugely damaging for its boxers. 

“For boxing to lose its place at the Olympic Games would be devastating for boxers at all levels in every part of the world. The Olympic Games provides inspiration and an unmatched platform for the sport. Without the Olympic Games, boxing and boxers will suffer. Fewer people will come into the sport at the grassroots and there will be less opportunities for elite boxers. This will damage the sport at every level and cannot be allowed to happen. 

“This is an urgent situation and the clock is ticking. The leaders of boxing’s National Federations now have a critically important decision to make and we urge every one of them that cares about boxers and the future of the sport to apply to join and support World Boxing in its efforts to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement, before it is too late.” 

World Boxing publishes Strategic Plan 2024-28

World Boxing, the new International Federation set-up to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement, has published its Strategic Plan 2024-28.

The plan was formally approved by World Boxing’s members at its inaugural Congress and details how the organisation will: keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic movement; ensure the interests of boxers are put first; deliver sporting integrity and fair competitions; create a competition structure designed in the best interests of the boxers and operate according to strong governance standards and transparent financial management.

The plan is built around the delivery of five strategic objectives and sets out a series of action plans detailing how it will:

  • Establish World Boxing as a recognised credible organisation
  • Operate best practice governance
  • Deliver world standard competitions
  • Increase the worldwide media exposure of boxing
  • Achieve financial stability and sustainability 

It contains sections on World Boxing as a business, the core business product of boxing and details the vision, mission and values of World Boxing.

Simon Toulson, Secretary General, World Boxing, said: “Since it was publicly launched in April 2023 World Boxing has achieved an enormous amount in a short time. It has established itself as a credible international sports organisation with nearly 30 member National Federations from all five Continents and staged its inaugural Congress in which it held open, transparent and fair elections that mean World Boxing now has a high-quality Executive Board with many years of boxing experience.

“The Strategy sets out a roadmap for how World Boxing will build on this and deliver on its central goals of ensuring its creates a better future for the sport and ensures boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”

World Boxing’s Strategic Plan 2024-28 can be viewed here.

Pueblo in the USA to host the second World Boxing Cup event of 2024 as boxers prepare for last chance to qualify for Paris Olympics

The second World Boxing Cup of 2024 will take place at the Pueblo Convention Center, Pueblo, Colorado, 16-20 April 2024.

More than 150 boxers from over 20 countries are registered to take part in the event, which is officially known as the ‘World Boxing Cup: USA Boxing International Invitational’.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that have registered teams to take part in the event include: Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, US Virgin Islands and the Boxing Refugee Team.

The home nation line-up is expected to include the six boxers that have already qualified for Paris 2024:

Jennifer Lozano (50kg), Jajaira Gonzalez (60kg), Morelle McCane (66kg), Jahmal Harvey (57kg), Omari Jones (71 kg) and Joshua Edwards (92kg+).

The Pueblo event follows January’s ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open – Sheffield 2024’ in England and is part of the new World Boxing Cup format which enables male and female boxers accrue ranking points over several stages of competition throughout the calendar year. It culminates in a year-end Finals event when the stage winners and other top-ranked boxers will compete for the World Boxing Cup trophy.

The five-day competition will take place at all 13 Olympic weight categories, seven for men and six for women. There will be two sessions per day [at 12:00 and 18:00 Mountain Time (MT) / 19:00 and 01:00 Central European Time (CET)] for the first four days and one session for the final day of action (12:00 MT). 

Many of the participating countries will use the event in Pueblo as preparation for the 2nd World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, 25 May – 2 June 2024, which will be the final chance for boxers to secure qualification for Paris 2024.

The draw for the World Boxing Cup: USA Boxing International Invitational, which is being delivered by USA Boxing in association with World Boxing, will take place on 15 April 2024 and all of the event information, include draw sheets, results, updates, photographs and a live stream of the action can be viewed at: https://www.usaboxing.org/2024-international-invitational.

World Boxing’s President, Boris van der Vorst, said:  “We are committed to delivering high quality competition opportunities for boxers and I am very grateful to our colleagues at USA Boxing for hosting this event.  I am very confident that it will build on the success of the recent World Boxing Cup in England and will provide excellent competition for all of the boxers and support the preparation of those men and women that are planning to compete in the final Olympic qualifying event in Thaliand in May.”

Mike McAtee, Executive Director/Chief Executive, USA Boxing, added: “USA Boxing is excited to host a preview of this summer’s Olympic Games on our home field with World Boxing. This competition will provide boxers with a high-quality experience before representing their respective countries in Paris, with many of these boxers expected to be boxing for a Olympic gold medal this summer. We look forward to showcasing amateur Olympic-style boxing to our community and building a fan base for our team and the other teams heading into Paris.”

More news on the World Boxing Cup: USA Boxing International Invitational will be posted on World Boxing’s social channels in the build-up to the event and throughout the competition at:

Statement from World Boxing following the IOC Executive Board Meeting

“World Boxing welcomes the clear position provided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its press conference (19 March 2024) on the status of boxing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

“The comments made by the IOC send a clear message to Boxing National Federations that they must join and support a new International Federation immediately if boxing is to remain on the Olympic Programme, or the sport will not be part of future editions of the Olympic Games after Paris 2024, which will have devastating consequences for young boxers, at all levels, across the world.

“World Boxing aims to be the new International Federation and has been established with the primary aim of ensuring that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.  It has been founded on the principles of integrity, honesty and excellence and is underpinned by rigorous governance practices, designed to put the interests of boxers first and ensure that the integrity of the sport is guaranteed and competition is fair.

“World Boxing will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and, should it choose to engage with us, we are committed to working constructively and collaboratively with National Federations and all stakeholders to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s place on the Olympic programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

“With its comments, the IOC has sent a direct and unequivocal message to everyone connected with the sport and we call upon all National Federations and everyone that cares about boxers and the future of boxing to join and support World Boxing and work with us to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”

World Boxing’s Executive Board approves the nominations of Tammara Thibeault and Caitlin Parker to join its Athlete Committee

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
(Photo by Athlete365)

Canada’s Tammara Thibeault and Caitlin Parker from Australia have joined World Boxing’s Athlete Committee after their nominations were approved at a recent meeting of its Executive Board.

The pair, who both competed at the 2020 Olympic Games and have qualified for Paris 2024, join Athlete Representatives, Lauren Price and Richard Torrez Jr, who sit on World Boxing’s Executive Board, to form a cohort of boxers that will strengthen the athlete focus of the organisation.

The Athletes Committee is responsible for representing the views of boxers worldwide and providing advice, guidance and opinions to World Boxing.  The members of the Athletes Committee are regularly consulted on relevant matters to ensure the views of boxers are reflected in World Boxing’s decision making. They also represent the organisation publicly and are invited to attend and contribute to meetings of the Executive Board and the World Boxing Congress.

The two new additions to the Athletes Committee both compete at middleweight (75kg) and have previously boxed each other, most recently in the semi-final of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games when the Canadian edged the bout and went on to take gold. 

Tammara Thibeault is also the current 2023 Pan-American Games champion and won gold at the 2022 world championships in Istanbul.  In addition to her bronze from Birmingham, Caitlin Parker, won a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a bronze at the 2014 Youth Olympics. 

Tammara Thibeault said: “I am honoured to be a part of World Boxing’s future and thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to the effort to keeping Olympic boxing in the Games. As we manage this significant shift in our sport’s leadership, it is up to athletes like us to speak for future generations. In this new chapter of amateur boxing history, I am dedicated to bringing about change through integrity and excellence.”  

Caitlin Parker added: “I am looking forward to positively contributing to the future of World Boxing, as we work together to secure boxing as part of the Olympic programme.”

Both boxers were approved as members of the Athlete Committee at the most recent meeting of the World Boxing Executive Board on 26 February 2024.

The Executive Board meeting made decisions on a wide range of measures to enable the organisation to build on the success it has achieved since it was publicly launched in April 2023. They included:

  • World Boxing’s Strategic Plan 2024-2028 was formally approved.  This will be published shortly on the World Boxing website
  • The approval of World Boxing’s new Competition Rules which will be published shortly on the World Boxing website
  • The new certification process for Referees and Judges (R and J’s) was formally approved and will be rolled-out amongst National Federation from March 2024 onwards
  • It was confirmed that the next World Boxing Cup event will be in the USA in April 2024 and that discussions are at an advanced stage with a member country to host the season finale of this competition in November or December 2024
  • An update was provided on recent meetings hosted by members of the Executive Board with key sporting stakeholders in Lausanne
  • A series of decisions were made in relation to key committees:
    • Boxing Scotland board member, Daryl Broadfoot, was added to the Marketing and Commercial Development Commission
    • The Sports and Competition Committee was given the go ahead to create two sub-commissions, a Technical Commission and a Coaches Commission, for which member National Federation will be asked to submit suitable candidates
    • The composition of the Continental Confederation Commission was approved by the Executive Board
    • The Medical and Anti-Doping Committee committed to hold a face-to-face meeting at the next World Boxing Cup event in the USA
    • The Finance Committee outlined the financial planning and auditing process

Boris van der Vorst, President of World Boxing said: “Ensuring the views of athletes are at the centre of decision making is core to World Boxing’s way of working and it is fantastic that we have been able to attract two such high calibre candidates as Tammara and Caitlin to join the organisation.  They have both achieved a great deal, inside and outside of the ring, and I am sure they will make a fantastic contribution to the future development of World Boxing.

“As the outputs from Executive Board meeting demonstrate World Boxing continues to make excellent progress across all aspects of its operations, including competition delivery, officiating, commercial activities and continuing to enhance the infrastructure of our organisation.  

“We have come a long way in a very short space of time and I have no doubt, that with the ongoing support of our colleagues and our members, World Boxing will continue to go from strength-to-strength as we work towards our goal of ensuring boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.” 

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.

27 National Federations, covering every continent that participates in Olympic-style boxing are members of World Boxing.  The first cohort 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.  The next two groups to join included Denmark, Mongolia, Panama, French Polynesia, Finland, Iceland, Jamaica, Nigeria, Norway and the Czech Republic.  The most recent cohort of members in October 2023 was comprised of Philippines, Scotland, Wales, Suriname and the US Virgin Islands.

Sheffield to host new international World Boxing Cup event in January 2024

A new international boxing competition hosted by England Boxing and World Boxing in association with GB Boxing, will take place from 17-20 January 2024 at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, England.

The event, known as the ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open, Sheffield 2024’, is a new addition to the elite international boxing calendar and will be part of the World Boxing Cup series developed by World Boxing, the new international federation which has been established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

The World Boxing Cup is a new format in which male and female boxers accrue ranking points over several stages of competition throughout the calendar year. It culminates in a year-end Finals event when the stage winners and other top-ranked boxers compete for the World Boxing Cup trophy.

The World Boxing Cup event in Sheffield will be first event of the 2024 series and feature seven men’s weight categories and six for women, the same as those that will be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The event will be delivered by England Boxing in association with World Boxing and GB Boxing and is supported by the National Lottery, UK Sport and Sheffield City Council.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, explained:  “World Boxing is committed to delivering a calendar of high quality competition opportunities that are designed in the interests of the boxers and it is fantastic that we will be bringing this event to England as part of the new World Boxing Cup series.  The timing of the event is great for all concerned, as it leads into the Olympic qualifier in Italy and shows that we are delivering a competition structure that works for the boxers and will benefit the sport.” 

GB Boxing’s Chief Executive, Matt Holt, said: “We have been aiming to have an international boxing competition in the UK for some time now, so it is great that we have been able to link-up with the new international federation and key local stakeholders to develop an event that can be part of next year’s World Boxing Cup series.  It is very good news for the boxers in our squad, who usually compete abroad, and means they will be able to box at home where their family and friends will be able to watch them. 

“This is a huge year for our boxers and being able to host this event at home, prior to the second Olympic qualifying event (in Italy from 29 February – 12 March 2024), is ideal preparation for the men and women in our squad as they look to secure their places at Paris 2024.”

Jerome Pels, Chief Executive, England Boxing, added: “We are very proud to be a part of the new World Boxing Cup series and are looking forward to being part of this event which will be a superb opportunity to showcase the popularity of boxing in England.  Our staff, officials, and volunteers all possess the skills and expertise necessary to deliver a top-class competition and are looking forward to collaborating with World Boxing and GB Boxing to bring this event to life.

“Having a World Boxing Cup event in England is fantastic for the sport at all levels.  It is a tremendous opportunity for Great Britain’s elite boxers to showcase their talent on home soil and, at the same, provides a platform for us to promote, develop and grow the sport at the grassroots.”

Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development Committee at Sheffield City Council said: “It’s great to see this event coming to Sheffield, the home of the Team GB boxing programme.  Events like this are really beneficial to the city and we look forward to working with World Boxing, England Boxing and GB Boxing to deliver a great competition.”

All of the National Federations that have joined World Boxing have been invited to take part in the ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open, Sheffield 2024’.  National Federations that are not currently members will be able to participate provided their request is approved by the Executive Board 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.

27 National Federations, covering every continent that participates in Olympic-style boxing are members of World Boxing.  The first cohort 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.  The next two groups to join included Denmark, Mongolia, Panama, French Polynesia, Finland, Iceland, Jamaica, Nigeria, Norway and the Czech Republic.  The most recent cohort of members in October 2023 was comprised of Philippines, Scotland, Wales, Suriname and the US Virgin Islands.

Follow World Boxing on social media at:       

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Boris van der Vorst elected first President of World Boxing at inaugural Congress

Boris van der Vorst has been elected as the first President of World Boxing at its inaugural Congress in Frankfurt.

The Dutchman secured 63 per cent of the vote against Elise Seignolle from USA Boxing and will serve an initial two-year term.

In his inaugural Presidential speech following the election, Boris van der Vorst, said: “I am humbled and honoured to have been elected President of World Boxing and I would like to thank everyone that has supported me in recent weeks and over the last few years. My campaign was based on the principles integrity, honesty and trust and I will continue to promote these values within our growing boxing family.

“Making sure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement is our number one priority and I look forward to working together with the newly elected board and all of our member National Federations to help us deliver this.”

The Presidential election was one of a series of votes at the Congress which covered a range of positions including three Vice Presidents (VP), four 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.

Three women and five men took part in the Vice Presidential elections which saw Canada’s Ryan O’Shea, Matt Holt from GB Boxing and the CEO of Boxing Australia, Dinah Glykidis emerge with the most votes to secure the three places.

The four candidates elected to the Executive Board were: Michael Muller from Germany, Victorico Vargas from the Philippines, Sweden’s Susanne Karrlander and Marcos Candido de Brito of Brazil.

In the election to chair World Boxing Committees, Hernan Salvo or Argentina secured the role as Chair of Sport and Competition Committee; Dr Armando Sanchez from the USA got the most to Chair the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and Julia Felton from Australia will Chair the Finance and Audit Committee.

The 11 winners in today’s elections will form a 14-person Executive Board, along with the two Athlete Representatives, Lauren Price and Richard Torrez Jr, and the Secretary General, Simon Toulson.

The Vice Presidents and Executive Board members will serve terms of two or four years. The difference in the length of terms is designed to enhance democratic accountability and means that World Boxing will hold elections every two years.

The Congress was attended by 26 of World Boxing’s 27 member countries. Delegates had one or two votes in line with the policies set out in the World Boxing statutes.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, said: “The inaugural Congress is a very significant milestone in the development of World Boxing and to have so many members attend in person, is a sign of people’s commitment to the organisation and everything we are trying to achieve for the sport.

“Hosting open, fair and transparent elections is a central element of World Boxing’s commitment to operating to the highest standards of governance and today’s events today have shown that the organisation is delivering on this commitment and I look forward to working with the newly appointed Executive Board and to help create a better future for the sport.”

A full list of the people elected to office is below:

OfficeNameLength of term
PresidentBoris van der Vorst (NED)Two years
Vice PresidentRyan O’Shea (CAN)Two years
Vice PresidentMatt Holt (GB)Four years
Vice PresidentDinah Glykidis (AUS)Four years
Executive BoardMichael Muller (GER)Two years
Executive BoardVictorico Vargas (PHI)Four years
Executive BoardSuzanne Karrlander (SWE)Two years
Executive BoardMarcos Candido de Brito (BRA)Two years
Chair Sport and Competition CommitteeHernan Salvo (ARG)Four years
Chair, Chair Medical and Anti-DopingDr Armando Sanchez (USA)Four years
Chair Finance and Audit CommitteeJulia Felton (AUS)Four years

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.