NEWS

India’s men and women in outstanding form as U19 World Boxing Championships enter medal stages

After four days of top-class boxing at the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships, the competition is getting into the medal stages.

In the women’s competition India has emerged as the stand-out nation so far. Seven weight classes have already reached the final stage where India is represented in each one. The remaining three semi-finals in the women’s competition will take place on day five.

The other strong performing nation in the women’s competition to-date has been England which currently has four women through to the finals.

The women’s finalists so far are:

48kg:                       Ruby White (ENG) vs Chanchal Choudhary (IND)

57kg:                       Tiah Mai Ayton (ENG) vs Anjali Kumari Singh (IND)

60kg:                       Ella Lonsdale (ENG) vs Vini Vini (IND)

70kg:                       Akansha Phalaswal (IND) vs Lilly Deacon (ENG)

75kg:                       Lerika Simon (GER) vs Krisha Verma (IND)

80kg:                       Kritika Wasan (IND) vs Stella Blazkova (CZE)

80+kg:                    Victoria Gatt (GER) vs Vanshika Goswami (IND)

In the men’s competition, one final has been confirmed in the 90kg+ category where South Korea’s Geonhui Lee will face Leo Atang from England.

Elsewhere, the home nation, USA, has enjoyed success with five boxers in the men’s semi-finals, however India has also stood-out in the men’s competition and has six boxers through to the semi-finals. Australia and England both have three boxers contesting the latter stages.

Day five (today) at The Pueblo Convention Center will play host to the remaining semi-final bouts ahead of the finals, which get underway on Friday. The action will commence from 15:00 MT and can be streamed from the World Boxing YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@officialworldboxing

Details of the draw, schedule, and all event documents can be viewed at https://xboxing.world/.

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

Membership of World Boxing rises to 51 National Federations after it approves applications from seven more countries

World Boxing, the International Federation established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement, now has 51 members after it approved seven new applications from the National Federations for boxing in Andorra, Belgium, Iraq, Lithuania, Madagascar, Kyrgyzstan and Thailand. 

All of the applications have been approved by World Boxing’s Executive Board and significantly enhance its global footprint. Madagascar is the third African nation to join after Nigeria and Algeria. Iraq is the second Arabic country to become a member.

The addition of the Thailand Boxing Association, whose President Mr. Pichai Chunhavajira has been the President of the Asian Boxing Confederation since March 2022, boosts World Boxing’s influence in the region, where it now has 11 members including India, Japan, Bhutan, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines and Singapore. 

The announcement of the seven new members comes in the same week that World Boxing is staging its first global championships, the U19 World Boxing Championships, at the Pueblo Convention Centre in Colorado USA, 26 October – 2 November 2024. 

The Championships will be followed on Sunday 3 November 2024 by World Boxing’s second annual Congress. 

All seven of the 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 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 
  • A solid national and international boxing sports programme 

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “To have surpassed the milestone of 50 members is hugely significant for World Boxing and conclusive proof of both the desire for change that exists in international boxing and the widespread acknowledgement by so many National Federations that boxing has to continue to be part of the Olympic Games. 

“I would like to thank all of my colleagues and the other boxing leaders across the world that have worked together with us to reach this significant point in the evolution of World Boxing and I look forward to working with other National Federations as we continue to grow our membership further.

“The momentum is building and I look forward to announcing more members in the near future as we are continuing to process applications from more and more countries who recognise that joining World Boxing and is the only way of ensuring that their boxers will be able to pursue their dreams of competing on the biggest stage in sport at the Olympic Games.” 

World Boxing was launched in April 2023. On 7 May 2024, it held the first formal meeting with the IOC which signalled the start of formal collaboration aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games. 

On 26 September 2024, World Boxing announced that it had set-up an Olympic Commission, chaired by President of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, to support and assist the process of developing a pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored to the Olympic Games. 

More than 180 boxers from 30 nations will compete in 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships in Colorado

More than 180 boxers from 30 National Federations will compete in the 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships which get underway this week at the Pueblo Convention Center, Colorado, USA (26 October – 2 November 2024).

The competition, for male and female boxers aged 17 and 18, is World Boxing’s first-ever global championships. It will feature athletes from all five Continents that compete in boxing and will be held across 10 weight categories for both men and women.

The action will run across one session per day, beginning at 15:00 MT for the first five days when there will be two rings in place. The penultimate day, Friday, 1 November, will have one session in one ring, beginning at 13:00 MT. The final day, when the medals will be handed out, will also feature action in a single ring across one session of boxing, beginning at 13:00 MT.

The largest contingent of boxers taking part in this historic event are from the host nation, USA, along with India and Italy, who have all entered teams of 15 men and women.

Other National Federations that will be taking part in the U19 Championships are Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Finland, Germany, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Ukraine, United States and Wales.

Details of the draw, schedule, and all event documents can be viewed at https://www.usaboxing.org/2024-u19-world-boxing-championships.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “This competition is a significant milestone in the development of World Boxing, and I would like to thank USA Boxing for hosting our first global championships.

“World Boxing is committed to putting athletes first and delivering high quality competition opportunities for boxers at all levels is a significant part of this. I have no doubt that our colleagues at USA Boxing will deliver a top-class event which will provide a fantastic platform for U19 men and women from our member National Federations to showcase their skills and further their development as elite boxers.”

USA Boxing CEO and Executive Director, Mike McAtee, commented: “As we prepare to host the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships, I could not be more excited for the opportunity to showcase the incredible talent of our youth boxers on an international stage.

“This event marks a historic moment for World Boxing and our sport. The World Boxing U19 Championships will serve as a monumental opportunity to keep Olympic-style boxing at the heart of the Olympic movement, and we are thrilled to play a pivotal role in fostering the next generation of champions from around the world. Together, we will celebrate the spirit of competition and the dedication that defines our sport.

The Chair of the Board of USA Boxing, Tyson Lee, added: “As Chair of the Board of USA Boxing, I am honoured to welcome everyone to the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships here in Colorado.

“In a short time, World Boxing has made remarkable progress in fostering competitive international tournaments by collaborating with National Federations around the globe. We at USA Boxing are proud to contribute to this effort, and we are eager to witness the spirited competition that this event will bring.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, our dedicated staff, and the entire USA Boxing community, thank you for your participation and best of luck to all the athletes!”

The 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships will be streamed live on World Boxing’s YouTube page and World Boxing will be posting updates throughout the competition on its social media channels:

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement and currently has 44 member National Federations covering all five Continents that compete in international boxing. 

On 7 May 2024 World Boxing held its first meeting with the IOC which signalled the start of formal collaboration between the two organisations aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

World Boxing Launches New Equipment Licence Programme to Ensure Safe Competition and Training

World Boxing is introducing a new equipment licence programme to ensure the highest safety standards for boxers in training and competition.

It means boxing products will now undergo rigorous testing to determine their suitability in World Boxing competitions as well as associated training and sparring sessions.

The screening will include chemical and mechanical testing for boxing gloves and boxing headgear. Boxing equipment that successfully passes the strict testing requirements will receive approved certification status valid for a period of four years, including:

  • Certificate of use from World Boxing
  • Certification from the testing agency
  • Appropriate marks for the equipment manufacturer to show they are an approved manufacturer for specific boxing products
  • Approved quality logo for the specific product(s) for marketing and sales.

Products that are approved through the testing procedure will be subject to re-evaluation after four years and will also be randomly assessed throughout their certified period. These measures will ensure that quality standards are upheld consistently after the initial testing process.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, said: “The safety and wellbeing of athletes is always at the forefront of everything we do at World Boxing and the new equipment licence programme means that boxers will be able to train and compete at the highest level in the knowledge that the equipment they use is of the highest safety standards.

“This is an important initiative in helping to create a safer environment at every level of the sport.”

The programme offers equipment manufacturers the opportunity to have their products quality verified by an impartial external body and endorsed by World Boxing.

It also grants manufacturers access to tender opportunities for future major boxing competitions where World Boxing’s rules apply or where World Boxing’s stakeholders are responsible for the event. Testing is mandatory for manufacturers who wish to submit their products for use in these events and unlicensed products will not be permitted for use in these environments.

Ukrainian legend Wladimir Klitschko backs World Boxing in its bid to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement

The former multiple world heavyweight champion and Atlanta 1996 gold medallist, Wladimir Klitschko has backed World Boxing and its President, Boris van der Vorst, in their bid to ensure that boxing remains a part of the Olympic Movement.

Speaking in a specially recorded 39-second video clip, which can be viewed here, the Ukrainian legend explained why he believes boxing should remain part of the Olympic Games and expressed confidence in World Boxing and its President to deliver this.

Klitschko said: “Boxing is one of the most spectacular and oldest sports in the Olympic programme. Speaking as the 1996 Olympic Champion I want to advocate that boxing must be safe for LA2028.

“Boxing stands as a brilliant sport and is so good at delivering on the values of the Olympic Charter through the diversity of the athletes and in the number of countries taking part.

“I support World Boxing and its President Boris van der Vorst in their efforts to achieve this goal and believe they can keep the Olympic dreams of boxers alive.”

Wladimir Klitschko represented Ukraine at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta where he won a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division.  From 1996 to 2017 he competed as a professional boxer where he held multiple versions of the world heavyweight title.

Boris van der Vorst added: “Wladimir Klitschko is one of the most widely admired boxers in the recent history of the sport, who has achieved an enormous amount both inside and outside of the ring, so it is great for World Boxing to have the support of such a hugely respected and knowledgeable figure.

“As someone who achieved great success in both Olympic-style and professional boxing, Wladimir completely understands the pivotal importance of the Olympic Games to boxing and the way it provides inspiration and opportunities for boxers to pursue their dreams at all levels in every part of the world.

“That Wladimir has chosen to express his public support for World Boxing is a clear signal of the widespread recognition amongst people that care about the sport of the need for change in international boxing and the critical importance of ensuring that boxing is restored to the programme for Los Angeles 2028 and continues to remain a part of the Olympic Movement.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to keep Boxing in the Olympic Games.  On 7 May 2024, it held the first formal meeting with the IOC which signalled the start of formal collaboration aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

Brazil takes gold at the World Boxing Challenge Tammer Tournament, Tampere 2024

The boxing came to a close yesterday after an exciting weekend of action at the World Boxing Challenge Tammer Tournament, Tampere 2024.

Across the 11 categories, Brazil came away as the most successful nation having won four golds, closely followed by the English with three and the home nation, Finland, with two winners. Notably, the weekend saw Finnish boxer Pihla Kaivo-oja claim her fourth gold in the history of the Tammer Tournament.

The full list of gold medallists at the World Boxing Challenge Tammer Tournament, Tampere 2024 is:

Women’s 50kg: Pihla Kaivo-oja, FIN

Women’s 54kg: Ivy-Jane Smith, ENG

Women’s 57kg: Gabriella Weerheim, NED

Women’s 60kg: Rebeca Santos, BRA

Women’s 66kg: Kayla Allen, ENG

Women’s 75kg: Viviane Pereira, BRA

Men’s 57kg: Ramon Conceição, BRA

Men’s 63.5kg: Ismail Umar, FIN

Men’s 71kg: Calum Makin, ENG

Men’s 80kg: Felipe Iganacio, BRA

Men’s 92kg+: Nikita Putilov, GER

For more information and updates, visit the Tammer Tournament website at: https://tammerturnaus.com/

World Boxing agrees to delegate adjudication on all anti-doping violations to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS AAD)

World Boxing has agreed to delegate adjudication on all anti-doping violations to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS AAD), a separate entity of the CAS which deals solely with Anti-doping hearings. 

It means that CAS ADD will be the first instance authority to adjudicate on all alleged violations detected by World Boxing’s anti-doping processes and will decide on the appropriate sanction for any breach of the rules.

The agreement with CAS ADD follows the recent announcement that World Boxing has secured a four-year arrangement with the International Testing Agency (ITA) for it to provide all of its anti-doping services and clean sport activities.

Under this arrangement, the ITA will manage World Boxing’s entire programme of in-competition and out-of-competition doping controls, results management, athlete education and the management of Athlete Biological Passports (ABPs) and the processing of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs).

Any violations detected during the testing process will be passed to CAS ADD who will oversee the adjudication and appeals process. World Boxing has agreed to abide by any decision issued by CAS AAD.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, explained: “World Boxing is committed to the highest standards of governance and transparency and having an end-to-end anti-doping process in place that is completely independent of the International Federation demonstrates this.

“By delegating our testing and education programme to the ITA and the adjudication process to CAS ADD, all of our National Federations and their boxers, can be sure that World Boxing is doing everything possible to promote and deliver clean sport and that all activities and decisions in this area are free of interference and subject to independent third-party oversight.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to keep Boxing in the Olympic Games. On 7 May 2024, it held the first formal meeting with the IOC which signaled the start of formal collaboration aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

Gennadiy Golovkin Addresses PanAm Sports General Assembly on the Current Situation of World Boxing

Asunción, Paraguay – October 3, 2024 – Gennadiy Golovkin, Chairman of the World Boxing Olympic Commission, delivered a pivotal presentation today at the PanAm Sports General Assembly, addressing the current state of World Boxing and the sport’s path forward. His presentation was supported by Hernán Salvo, Chair of the Sports Committee, and Mike McAtee, Secretary of the World Boxing Olympic Commission.

In his first appearance as Chairman, Golovkin emphasized the importance of preserving boxing’s place in the Olympic Games and underscored the challenges and opportunities the sport faces. He expressed his commitment to ensuring the sport remains a key part of the Olympic program for future generations.

Following Golovkin’s introduction, Hernán Salvo provided an in-depth update on the current situation of World Boxing, while Mike McAtee shared detailed plans for addressing the ongoing reviews of certain member nations and strengthening the organization’s governance.

Commission highlighted the 48 member countries currently part of World Boxing, with 10 nations under review. 15 National Federations of Americas are in membership of World Boxing today. They praised the recent success of American boxing at the Paris Olympics, where athletes from the Americas secured 9 historic medals—one of the highest medals counts for the region. Athletes from seven National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from the Americas contributed to this achievement.

“Our goal is to strengthen and support Olympic boxing, ensuring it continues to inspire athletes worldwide,” Golovkin stated during the assembly. “Together, we can safeguard the future of our sport.”

The presentation concluded with a message of unity and dedication toward preserving boxing’s legacy in the Olympic Games.