23 May 2026 will mark six months to-the day, since the two-time middleweight world champion and 2004 Olympic silver medalist, Gennadiy Golovkin, was named the President of World Boxing at its Congress 2025 in Rome.
In the period since taking on the role, the President had a lot of meetings across the globe with National Federations and key stakeholders, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), continental confederations and numerous ministers for sport. He has also spoken to hundreds of boxers at a wide variety of international competitions including the Asian Boxing Elite Boxing Championships, the Boxing Futures Cup and the recent World Boxing Cup – Brazil 2026, Foz de Iguaco.
Under his leadership, membership has continued to grow and, in the last six months, 54 National Federations have had their applications to join World Boxing endorsed by the Executive Board. A new Secretary General, with more 30 years’ leadership experience in Olympic Sport, Tom Dielen, has been appointed as Secretary General, and the World Boxing Athletes Committee, Chaired by Australia’s Paris 2024 medallist Caitlin Parker, has been empowered and given an important voice at the highest level of decision making.
To mark his first six months as President, Gennadiy Golovkin, has given an exclusive interview, in which he looks back on the challenges and achievements of his first six months at President and sets out his plans and aspirations for the future of Olympic boxing.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge during your first six months as President?
“The biggest challenge is restoring trust in international Olympic boxing, and we are working hard to achieve this. We are building an organisation that truly unites National Federations, athletes, and continents around shared values. It was a lot to work on: setting up our governance, growing our membership, having a constructive dialogue with the IOC, always keeping our absolute focus on the boxers. It is daily work, total transparency, and the courage to make tough decisions.”
Q: What are you most proud of from your first six months?
“I’m really proud of how World Boxing continues to grow and bring together national federations from all over the world. In these six months, we welcomed over 50 new member federations. In a very short time, we proved that our organisation is built on transparency, fair governance, and real care for the future of boxing. What matters most to me is that the athletes are starting to see World Boxing as a platform that truly protects their interests and saves the Olympic future of our sport.”
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role as President of World Boxing?
“What inspires me the most is working for the future of boxing. I’m a huge fan of this sport. I love connecting with people who share this passion: athletes, coaches, federations, and fans around the world. Boxing has a unique power to change lives, to build character, discipline, and respect. Being part of the process that protects and grows this sport for the next generation – it’s a great honour and a massive responsibility.”
Q: How do you assess the current state of Olympic boxing?
“I believe international Olympic boxing is going through a very important transformation right now. Yes, the sport has faced serious challenges in recent years, but today we have a real opportunity to build a stronger, modern and sustainable system. The passion for boxing remains huge worldwide. The level of the athletes keeps getting higher, as I saw this with my own eyes at the first World Boxing Cup stage in Brazil, and the National Federations are showing they are ready to work together for our shared future. I look at the future of Olympic boxing with pure optimism.”
Q: What are your main priorities for the next six months?
“Our key priorities are clear, we will continue to grow the World Boxing family, develop our system of good governance, and work very closely with the IOC. We are preparing to organise the boxing tournament at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, which is a big step on our road to LA28. We are also completely focused on developing a fair and transparent competition system, supporting our athletes, and building strong trust within the global boxing family. We want to build a solid foundation that guarantees the long-term success of Olympic boxing.”
Q: What is your message to boxers around the world?
“My main message to the boxers – and this is exactly what I tell them when we talk face-to-face – is to keep believing in yourselves and in the future of our sport. World Boxing is working hard to give you a fair, honest, and transparent system, where your talent, your hard work, and your dedication are the only things that matter. Boxers have always been the heart of this sport, and everything we are building right now is for you.”