NEWS

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.

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.

Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition

A thrilling final day of action at the World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool saw Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay defeat Jahhongir Zokirov of Uzbekistan in the 520th and final bout of the competition to win the super-heavyweight (M90kg+) gold medal and ensure his country topped the final medal table with seven golds, one silver and two bronze.

Although Uzbekistan secured a higher medal count with 11, it won fewer golds and had to settle for second place in the medal table, with six golds, two silver and three bronze.

After 10 days of high-class competition at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, the final day evolved into a shoot-out between the two Asian superpowers which, remarkably, won every one of the men’s categories between them.

It proved to be a superb closing day for Kazakhstan which won seven of the eight finals its boxers contested, the only reverse coming in the first bout of the day when Nazym Kyzaibay lost to India’s Minakshi Minakshi at light-flyweight (W48kg).

The final outcome at the top of the medal table hinged on two direct match-ups between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which came out on top in both.

The women’s welterweight (W65kg) final between Navbakhor Khamidova of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan’s Aida Abikeyeva was one of the best bouts of the day and after two hard fought rounds between, the Uzbek seemed to have the upper hand.  However, the combination of a point off from the referee and terrific onslaught by Abikeyeva saw the Kazak fight back to win 3-0 on the judges’ scorecards. It was a similar story in the last bout of the night where Oralbay won the final round on four judges’ cards to secure the narrowest of 3-2 victories.

Speaking via an interpreter in the mixed zone after her welterweight victory, Abikeyev said: “Today is the final. I set a personal goal before Liverpool to become a two-time world champion. Thank God, I reached it. This is the first one. This is for my grandfather. Thanks for the support, Kazakhstan.”

Other countries which won gold medals on the day included India, Chinese Taipei, Brazil and Ireland – all of them coming in the women’s categories.

The day began with nine bouts in the afternoon session which saw victories for Kazakhstan’s Sanzhar Tashkenbay at flyweight (M50kg) and Makhmud Sabrykhan at bantamweight (M55kg), while Uzbekistan enjoyed success with wins for welterweight (65kg) Asadkhuja Muydinkhjaev, light-heavyweight Javokhir Ummataliev and heavyweight (W90kg) Turabek Khabibullaev.

The pick of the bouts was the women’s lightweight final between Brazil’s Rebecca De Lima Santos and Aneta Rygielska of Poland.  The contest could have gone either way and hinged on a strong second round from the Brazilian, which managed to give her a big enough lead to weather a final round onslaught from the Pole and edge the result 3-2.

Another boxer to impress was Ireland’s Aoife O’Rourke, who took control of her middleweight final from first bell and was rarely troubled on route to a 5-0 win over Busra Isildar of Turkey.

O’Rourke said: “I feel incredible, it hasn’t even sunk in yet. Just the whole buzz and the atmosphere here is just, I’m overwhelmed with excitement, enjoyment, everything. It’s an amazing feeling and long may it last.”

The evening session featured nine more finals which were dominated by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The men’s lightweight final had all the makings of a classic as Brazil’s Luis De Oliveira clashed with Paris 2024 gold medallist Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan, however it was cut short when an accidental clash of heads led the ringside Doctor to halt the contest.  It went to the judges’ who had Khalokov leading on every card and meant he has now won gold at both at the Olympic Games and the World Boxing Championships, without dropping a round.

For the home nation, it proved to be a frustrating final session as cruiserweight Teagn Stott and light-heavyweight, Emily Asquith, both lost their finals, however the overall competition has been a major success for the hosts that delivered a fantastic Championships in Liverpool and saw English boxers win five medals, including two for hometown boxers, Callum Makin and Odel Kamara, who lit up the tournament.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “We could not have wished for a better place to host our inaugural World Boxing Championships and I would like to thank the Local Organising Committee and all of the event partners, GB Boxing, England Boxing, Liverpool City Council, UK Sport and the National Lottery for delivering a fantastic event. 

“All of the feedback I have heard from boxers, coaches and officials this week has been very positive and everyone has been very happy with the organisation, staging and delivery of the event.  It has been a festival of world class boxing and has set a very high standard for all future World Boxing events and championships.”

A full list of the winners from the final two days of action is:

Weight ClassGoldSilver
Women  
48kgMinakshi Minakshi (IND)Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ)
51kgAlua Balkibekova (KAZ)Buse Naz Cakiroglu (TUR)
54kgHsiao-Wen Huang (TPE)Yoseline Perez (USA)
 Jaismine Jaismine (IND)Julia Szeremeta (POL)
60kgEbeca De Lima Santos (BRA)Aneta Rygielska (KAZ)
65kgAida Abikeyeva (KAZ)Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB)
70kgNatalya Bogdovana (KAZ)Lekeisha Pergoliti (ITA)
75kgAoife O’Rourke (IRE)Busra Isildar (TUR)
80kgEseta Flint (AUS)Emily Asquith (ENG)
80kg+Agata Kaczmarska (POL)Nupur Nupur (IND)
Men  
50kgSanzhar Tashkenbay (KAZ)Battulga Aldarkhishig (MGL)
55kgMakhmud Sabrykhan (KAZ)Rafael Lozano Serrano (ESP)
60kgAbdumalik Khalokov (UZB)Luis De Oliveira (BRA)
65kgAsadkhuja Muydinkhjaev (UZB)Yuri Falcao (BRA)
70kgTorekhan Sabryrkhan (KAZ)Sewonrets Okazawa (JPN)
75kgFazliddin Erkinboev (UZB)Rami Kiwan (BUL)
80kgJavokhir Ummataliev (UZB)Yojerlin Cesar (FRA)
85kgAkmaijon Isroiliv (UZB)Teagn Stott (ENG)
90kgTurabek Khabibullaev (UZB)Isaisas Filho (BRA)
90kg+Aibek Oralbay (KAZ)Jakhongir Zokirov (UZB)

The final medal table can be viewed HERE.

RESULTS:

All of today’s results are available at: https://www.worldboxingliverpool.com/competition-documents. 

PHOTOS:

A free photo gallery of images from every session is available. Images can be downloaded directly for free – https://www.flickr.com/photos/203447206@N02/albums

SOCIAL MEDIA:

World Boxing will be posting updates throughout the competition on its social media channels:

INFORMATION:

The official draw and all results and additional information can be found on the event’s official website: https://www.worldboxingliverpool.com/competition-documents. 

WATCH:

The World Boxing Championships 2025 was livestreamed on World Boxing’s website via Eurovision Sport (available in selected territories). Bouts can be watched back at https://worldboxing.org/watch-the-world-boxing-championships/.

The World Boxing Championships 2025 was organised and delivered by a Local Organising Committee made up of a range of partners that includes GB Boxing, England Boxing, Liverpool City Council and the M&S Bank Arena, with the support of the National Lottery and UK Sport. Event partners are Sting, Nike Boxing, Brabners, Queensberry Promotions, Movember, the Liverpool Bid Company and Visit Liverpool.