NEWS

ITA Webinar | Ask the Expert: Nutrition

Registration link: Webinar Registration – Zoom
Title: Ask the Expert: Nutrition
Date: 29 January 2026
Time: 14:00 – 15:00 CET
Panellists: ITA Education Team

World Boxing members are invited to take part in an ITA ‘Ask the Expert’ Webinar on nutrition on 29 January 2026, featuring Professor Louise Burke, IOC Diploma Programme in Sports Nutrition and Australian Catholic University Director.

This session will provide an overview of the topic, along with practical insights and expert answers to your questions.

‘A strong athlete voice makes the sport better for everyone’ Athletes Committee Chair Caitlin Parker on her plans in the role,World Boxing’s progress and the impact of becoming a mum

Caitlin Parker, Australia’s first ever female boxer to medal at an Olympic Games, has been named Chair of World Boxing’s Athletes Committee. Parker was re-elected to the Athletes Committee by her fellow boxers at the World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool.

We caught up with the Paris bronze medallist at the start of 2026 to discuss her goals, the importance of the Athletes Committee, World Boxing’s progress and more.

How did it feel to be named chair of the Athletes Committee?

I just felt really honoured, to be honest. And to be elected by my peers at the 2025 World Championships in Liverpool was special. And then to also have the committee members trust me as being the chair, is something I don’t take lightly.

I just want to do my best. I’ve been boxing most of my life, and now to be able to give back to the sport in a way that I can also advocate for athletes is important to me. It’s a responsibility that I’m really proud of.

What are your plans as chair?

One of the biggest priorities must be protecting boxing’s place in the Olympic Games and making sure athletes voices are genuinely heard. Also, to be included in all the decision-making processes, I’m really passionate about building an environment and a culture within the Australian team when I’ve been captain there.

That’s what I want to do with this committee and World Boxing, building that environment where athletes feel valued, supported and just proud to be a part of World Boxing. And that’s not just during competitions but through their entire journey in the sport.

How important do you think it is that athletes have a voice within the sport and the international federation?

It’s so essential, absolutely essential. Athletes are the heart of the sport. We live it. We live the rules, the competition schedules, the travel, the pressures every day, the literal blood, sweat and tears. A strong athlete voice makes the sport better for everyone.

World Boxing has come a long way in a short space of time and has been provisionally recognized by the IOC. What do you think are the main challenges facing the organization?

World Boxing has made massive progress in such a short period of time. The provisional IOC recognition was a massive step forward. The key challenge now is continuing to build that trust through good governance and continuing to have good transparency and consistency.

Across the whole the World Boxing community we need to be making sure that the systems in place put athletes first. World Boxing needs to be sustainable and bring together all National Federations and athletes with a shared vision of an Olympic future for the sport.

What impact do you think it will have that the new President of World Boxing comes from an athlete background and is as such a respected figure as Gennadiy Golovkin?

Obviously, having a president that comes from an athlete background is powerful. Gennadiy understands the realities of sport at the highest level and especially boxing. He knows what athletes actually have to experience in and out of the ring. The leadership that he can bring will create that credibility and trust straight away, I think, and will continue to do so for the athletes.

I think it sends a strong message that athletes matter and that their perspectives are valued at the very top of the organisation.

How has becoming a mum change your perspective as an athlete, and how do you think this can benefit the sport?

Becoming a mum has been the best thing ever. I feel like it’s made me a better person. It’s also given me perspective on purpose, that’s for sure. That’s a big one.

Also balance, I guess it it’s a bit of a reminder that, athletes are people. They have lives outside of competition and the support system that you have around you is really important. I think it can help shape a sport that better understands the athletes, I can support them through the different stages of life and create an environment where people can do well in the ring and out of the ring.

World Boxing’s Executive Board endorses three new membership applications from Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal

The Executive Board of World Boxing has endorsed three new membership applications from the National Federations for boxing in Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal.

The endorsement of three new applications means World Boxing now has 155 National Federations as members, made-up of 123 ‘Full Members’, one ‘Associate Member’ and 31 ‘Endorsed Members’.


Under World Boxing Statutes HERE the National Federations for boxing in Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal have “Endorsed Member’ status which means they are able to compete in World Boxing competitions but cannot vote at Congress 2026 as they do not have ‘Full Member’ status.


‘Full Member’ status can only be conferred by Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing, and will be voted on at Congress 2026. ‘Endorsed Members’ that are successful in having their membership applications ratified at this Congress and become ‘Full Members’ will be able to vote at the following year’s Congress in 2027 and all those thereafter.

The three new National Federation members are:

  • Boxing Federation of Armenia
  • Portuguese Boxing Federation (Federação Portuguesa de Boxe)
  • Boxing Federation of Equatorial Guinea (FEGUIBOX)

To secure the endorsement of the Executive Board, all three have completed a rigorous application process 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-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


Lists of the 124 National Federations that have ‘Full Member’ or ‘Associate Member’ status and the 31 National Federations that have ‘Endorsed Member’ status can viewed be in the membership section of the World Boxing website HERE.


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.

President of World Boxing Gennadiy Golovkin sets out plans for 2026 in New Year message to member National Federations

The President of World Boxing, Gennadiy Golovkin, has delivered a New Year message to its 152 members setting out his priorities for 2026 which are designed to “strengthen trust in the organisation, safeguard the values of boxing and build а modern, sustainable, and professional international federation that fully meets the expectations of the Olympic Movement and the wider international sporting community”.

The priorities cover a wide-range of areas and include an operational reorganisation; putting athletes at the centre of the World Boxing’s work; publishing a strategic roadmap for World Boxing through to  Brisbane 2032; an increased focus on competition integrity and officiating; plans for the increased adoption and usage of new technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI); integration with the Olympic calendar; increased commercial development; and plans to continue to grow membership and enhance relations with National Federations.

All of this is underpinned by a commitment to an open dialogue with National Federations and the willingness of the President to work directly to address concerns and issues.

The operational reorganisation will see World Boxing consolidate its activities at its office in Lausanne, Switzerland and establish an effective governance model based on transparency, accountability and efficient decision-making.

The next 12 months will also see World Boxing present its strategic roadmap for the period 2026-2032. The strategy will set-out plans for the long-term development of the organisation and include details on:

  • Strengthening the central role of athletes
  • Setting out a clear pathway to Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games
  • Ensuring long-term financial sustainability and transparency
  • Modernising statutory and regulatory frameworks
  • The launch of a global World Boxing Online Academy for sports managers, athletes, officials, coaches and Referees and Judges (R&Js)

Ensuring fairness and the integrity of competitions is central to the President’s vision for World Boxing and 2026 will see further progress in this area to develop officiating, enhance education and professional standards for referees and judges, and standardize procedures across competitions. It will also include the introduction of new technologies, including elements of AI, to enhance objectivity.

On this subject, the letter from the President states: “Integrity of Competition and Officiating Trust in competition results and fairness are the cornerstone of any sport. World Boxing will continue its systematic work to further improve transparency, and fairness in judging.”

The use of new technologies and AI will be a key driver of World Boxing’s modernisation over the next 12 months when it plans to implement advanced digital tools and AI solutions across both governance and analytical and competition-related processes, all of which will be designed to enhance efficiency, transparency and trust.

Commercial activities will be designed to build on boxing’s status as a globally recognised sport and increase the attractiveness, visibility and value of its competitions, while building sustainable partnerships that support long-term growth.  Relations with member National Federations will be enhanced by improving data management and the development new digital communications platforms.

The priorities are all underpinned by a commitment to putting the interests of athletes at the centre of World Boxing’s activities and a personal commitment from the new President to work closely with National Federations.

In the letter to National Federations, Gennadiy Golovkin says: “Athletes are the heart and purpose of World Boxing. We will consistently strengthen their roles within our governance framework, ensure transparent and fair selection and qualification pathways, and protect their rights and interests. Particular attention will be paid to athletes’ physical and mental well-being, as well as to their meaningful involvement in consultative and representative structures.

“You all know that l am а person of action rather than words. I intend to maintain constant contact with all our members and look forward to working closely with all of you in the year ahead and am confident that, together, we will lay а strong foundation for а sustainable and successful future for World Boxing. I wish all of us а strong, united, and successful 2026 – а year of hard work, real progress, and shared achievements.”

World Boxing’s Executive Board endorses new membership applications from 15 National Federations

The Executive Board of World Boxing has endorsed new membership applications from 15 boxing National Federations.

Under World Boxing Statutes HERE the 15 new National Federations have “Endorsed Member’ status which means they are able to compete in World Boxing competitions but cannot vote at Congress 2026 as they do not have ‘Full Member’ status.

‘Full Member’ status can only be conferred by Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing, and will be voted on at Congress 2026. ‘Endorsed Members’ that are successful in having their membership applications ratified at this Congress and become ‘Full Members’ will be able to vote at the following year’s Congress in 2027 and all those thereafter.

The 15 new National Federations are:

COUNTRYNATIONAL FEDERATION
BahrainBahrain Boxing Federation
BangladeshBangladesh Boxing Federation
EswatiniEswatini Boxing Federation
Faroe IslandsBoxing Association of the Faroe Islands
GuyanaGuyana Boxing Association
LesothoLesotho Boxing Association
LuxembourgLuxembourg Boxing Federation
MaltaMalta Boxing Federation
MoroccoRoyal Moroccan Boxing Federation
NigerNigerian Boxing Federation (FENIBOXE)
Puerto RicoPuerto Rican Boxing Federation
SerbiaSerbia Boxing Federation
SeychellesSeychelles Boxing Federation
TogoTogo Boxing Federation
TunisiaTunisia Boxing Federation

The new additions mean that World Boxing now has 152 National Federations as members, made-up of 123 ‘Full Members’; one ‘Associate Member’ and 28 ‘Endorsed Members’.

The 15 National Federations that have been most recently endorsed by the Executive Board, 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-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

A list of the 124 National Federations that have ‘Full Member’ or ‘Associate Member’ status can be viewed HERE.

A list of the 28 National Federations that have ‘Endorsed Member’ status can be viewed HERE.

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.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan continue to lead the way in year-end World Boxing rankings

BOXERS from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan continue to lead the way in the year-end World Boxing Rankings published HERE with both countries having six boxers ranked number one in the world.

Uzbekistan remains dominant in the men’s categories where is has the number one boxer at 60kg, 65kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, and 90kg. Boxers from Kazakhstan, claim top spot in the four remaining men’s categories, at M50kg, M55kg, M70kg and M90kg+, and two of the women’s weight classes W70kg and W65kg where Aida Abikeyeva shares top spot with Chinese Taipei’s Olympic bronze medallist Chen Nien-Chen.

Other countries with boxers at the top of the pile in the women’s weights include Poland (W57kg and W80kg+), India (W48kg), Türkiye (W51kg), Chinese Taipei (W54kg), Brazil (W60kg), Ireland (W75kg) and Australia (W80kg).

The new rankings are the second set published by World Boxing and include a number of changes following the ‘World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 – Greater Noida’ in November where the success of the home nation, which topped the medal table with nine golds, has had an impact.

In the women’s light-flyweight division (W48kg), India’s Minakshi has risen to number one after securing gold in Greater Noida. It completed a dominant year for the World Boxing Champion who added another major title to her résumé with victories over Korea’s Chorong and Uzbekistan’s Farzona, to earn the maximum 300 ranking points.

At bantamweight (W54kg), India’s Preeti Preeti has entered the rankings at number eight after topping the podium in Great Noida, where she delivered the upset of the tournament, beating World Boxing Championships gold and bronze medallists, Hsiao-Wen Huang of Chinese Taipei and Sirine Charaabi of Italy, on-route to gold.

In the women’s middleweight (W75kg) division, Australia’s Emma Sue Greentree has moved into the top three after she upgraded her World Boxing Championships bronze to gold medal in Greater Noida where she beat Italy’s Melissa Gemini in a tense final.

In the men’s weights, Sachin Sachin of India delivered a big move climbing from 14th to ninth at lightweight (M60kg) after winning gold in Greater Noida, where he defeated Olympic silver medallist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan in the final.

Gold medal performances in India also saw two English boxers move up the rankings. At light-heavyweight (M80kg), Dimeji Shittu rose one place to sixth. At heavyweight (M90kg), Isaac Okoh went up six places from twelfth to sixth.

At the end of the year, the leading female boxer in the world is still 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 at the end of 2025 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, CUB2,1003rdJaismine JAISMINE, 57kg, IND1,950
4thAibek ORALBAY, 90kg+, KAZ2,0254thMinakshi MINAKSHI, 48kg, IND1,750
5th =Sanzhar TASHKENBAY, 50kg, KAZ1,6505thHsiao-Wen HUANG, 54kg, TPE1,875
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 World Boxing Ranking Points are awarded for at Olympic Games, World Boxing Cups, World Boxing Championships, Continental Multi-Sport Games and the World Boxing Cup Finals.

They are then used for seeding boxers at competitions with the points issued on a 3-year cycle. Boxers may not accumulate ranking points from more than four competitions at a given time.

Full details on how the rankings are calculated, and the allocation of points, are available HERE.

Ratification of 49 applications at Congress 2025 takes World Boxing’s membership to 124 National Federations

World Boxing has ratified the membership applications of 49 National Federations HERE at its most recent Congress 2025 in Rome.

It means that World Boxing now has 124 member National Federations that have been approved by Congress. The list of 124 members can be viewed HERE.

Of the 124 National Federations, 123 have ‘Full Member’ status and are eligible to vote in World Boxing’s next annual Congress in 2026. GB Boxing has ‘Associate Member’ status and is eligible to participate in Congress but not have a vote.

All boxing National Federations are able to apply to join World Boxing and must complete a rigorous process that is 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

Under World Boxing’s Statutes HERE, National Federations that successfully complete the process and have their application approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing have ‘Endorsed Member’ status and can have their application put forward to the next Congress, provided it is not filed later than 90 days before the start of Congress.

Final approval and ratification of ‘Full Member’ status can only be conferred on ‘Endorsed Members’ by the vote of Congress, which is the ultimate authority of World Boxing.

It means that National Federations that have been endorsed for membership by the Executive Board and had their application put forward to Congress, will not be able to vote at that Congress.  However, provided their application is ratified and they become a ‘Full Member’ they will be eligible to vote at future Congresses.

In practical terms this means, that any National Federation which is not one of World Boxing’s 124 members, will not be able to vote at the next Congress in 2026, even if they secure endorsement from the Executive Board. However, they will be able to vote at the following year’s Congress in 2027 and thereafter, provided their application for membership is ratified at Congress 2026.

Full details on World Boxing membership and the rights this confers on National Federations are available in World Boxing’s Statutes HERE.

GB Boxing has ‘Associate Member’ status 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 (GBR).

Two-time middleweight world champion Gennadiy Golovkin confirmed as new President of World Boxing at Congress 2025 in Rome

The two-time middleweight world champion and 2004 Olympic silver medallist, Gennadiy Golovkin, has been named the new President of World Boxing at its Congress 2025 in Rome.

The Kazakh was the only candidate for the role on the final ballot paper and was named President by acclamation at the Congress.

Other candidates had put themselves forward in October 2025 to contest the Presidential election, however Golovkin was the only person approved to stand by an independent Vetting Panel, which assessed the backgrounds of all the candidates.

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, and is designed to ensure World Boxing adheres to the highest standards of governance by providing independent, third party checking and oversight of Congress and the election process.

Golovkin will serve an initial three-year term and succeeds Dutchman, Boris van der Vorst, who did not seek re-election following the completion of his term.

Gennadiy Golovkin, said: “It is a privilege to be elected as the new President of World Boxing. But this is just the beginning. Starting today, athletes will be at the heart of every decision we make. On the road to LA28, we will restore trust in Olympic boxing to secure our place in Brisbane and beyond. Now it’s time to move forward as one united boxing family.”

The Presidential election was one of four votes at the Congress which included one position as Vice President and two seats on the World Boxing Executive Board.

In the election for Vice President, Ryan O’Shea from Canada secured a second term with 57 per cent of the vote in a two-person contest with Thailand’s Chaiwat Chotima.

The election for the Executive Board had six candidates and saw Michael Muller from Germany and Tatsuya Nakama from Japan emerge with the most votes.

The four winners of today’s elections will join the World Boxing Executive Board which is made-up of the President; three Vice Presidents; four Executive Board members; four Continental Confederation Presidents; two Athlete Representatives; the Chairs of the Committees for Sport and Competition, Medical and Anti-Doping, and Finance and Audit.

Congress 2025 was chaired by World Boxing Vice President, Dinah Glykidis.  In accordance, with World Boxing’s Statutes, 59 National Federations were eligible to take part in the voting which was conducted in-person and online and overseen by an independent, third-party organisation. Scrutineers were onsite to validate the veracity of the election processes and ensure candidates were treated in a fair and equitable manner.

World Boxing Vice President and Chair of Congress 2025, Dinah Glykidis, said: “Congress is the ultimate authority of World Boxing and to have so many of our members be able to participate in it today and express their views on the future direction of the organisation is very important, and a positive sign that World Boxing is continuing to deliver on its commitment to transparency and rigorous governance.

“Since it was launched in April 2023, World Boxing has achieved an enormous amount in a short space of time and I am confident that with our new President and the Executive Board that we now have in place, following today’s elections, that it will continue to go from strength to strength as we build towards the next Olympic Games at LA28.”

Other business concluded at the World Boxing Congress 2025 included:

  • Acceptance of a series of amendments to the Statutes of World Boxing following provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February 2025
  • Ratification by Congress of the membership applications of 49 National Federations to join World Boxing
  • Acceptance of a series of proposals which included the incorporation of World Boxing’s Sex Eligibility Policy into the Competition Rules and associated operational documents
  • Approval of the 2025 Accounts and the provisional budget for 2026
  • The acceptance of Panama’s bid to host World Boxing’s next annual Congress in 2026

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.

Born in 1982, Gennadiy Golovkin is widely considered to be Kazakhstan’s greatest ever boxer.  He won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 before entering the professional ranks where he won the middleweight world title twice in a career made-up of 42 wins, two losses and a draw.  He has been the President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee since 2024.

The people that make up the Executive Board of World Boxing are:

OfficeName
PresidentGennadiy Golovkin (KAZ)
Vice PresidentRyan O’Shea (CAN)
Vice PresidentMatt Holt (GBR)
Vice PresidentDinah Glykidis (AUS)
Executive BoardMichael Muller (GER)
Executive BoardVictorico Vargas (PHI)
Executive BoardTatsuya Nakama (JPN)
Athlete Representative (Chair)Caitlin Parker (AUS)
Athlete Representative (Vice Chair)Richard Torrez Jr (USA)
President, Asian BoxingPichai Chunhavajira (THA)
President, European BoxingLars Brovil (DEN)
President, Oceania BoxingBeulah Daunakamakama (FJI)
President, Panamerican BoxingElise Seignolle (USA)
Chair Sport and Competition CommitteeHernan Salvo (ARG)
Chair Medical and Anti-Doping CommitteeDr Armando Sanchez (USA)
Chair Finance and Audit CommitteeJulia Felton (AUS)