NEWS

More than 40 candidates will compete in elections for Executive positions at World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023

World Boxing, the new international federation established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement, has received more than 40 nominations for Executive positions when elections take place at its inaugural Congress in November 2023.

The nominations, which include 11 female candidates, cover a range of offices including President, Vice President (VP) and places on World Boxing’s Executive Board along with the Chairs of the Sport and Competition Committee, the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.

The nominations come from 18 countries spread across four continents and mean that every Executive position and role as Committee Chair will be contested when members vote in November.  

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 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.

Details of the World Boxing’s inaugural Congress will be announced in early September 2023.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, said: “Open, fair and transparent elections are a central element of World Boxing’s commitment to operating to the highest standards of governance. 

“To receive such a strong response to World Boxing’s call for candidates is a clear indication of the desire for change that exists within international boxing, and it is a very positive sign to see that every office bearing position within the organisation will be contested by a diverse range of candidates at the inaugural Congress.”

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.

World Boxing announces six more members

The National Federations for boxing in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Honduras and Sweden have completed the process to become members of World Boxing, the new international federation that has been established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement. 

The addition of these six countries means World Boxing now has 12 members spread across four continents. 

USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, GB Boxing, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation were confirmed as World Boxing’s first cohort of members in early August 2023.

All of the members have completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing 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-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
  • Have a solid national and international boxing sports programme

The applications were approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing and will be ratified at the organisation’s inaugural Congress in November 2023.

All of World Boxing’s members will be invited to attend the Congress in November 2023 and have the opportunity to nominate candidates for offices within the new international federation including the Presidency and Executive Committee and membership of Committees and Commissions.  The full members will have voting rights at the Congress.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, commented: “World Boxing continues to attract high calibre National Federations that want to emulate our principles and endorse our policies to put the boxers first and operate with rigorous governance practices.    Becoming a member takes time as it is a detailed and meticulous process to ensure that a National Federation is suitable for our organisation.

“We are receiving more and more interest and requests from National Federations and boxing organisations to join World Boxing on a weekly basis and currently have a number of applications from those wanting to join or going through the membership application process.

“The governance foundations of World Boxing are now set which will culminate in the Inaugural Congress in November.  The quality of National Federations that have joined and those waiting to join World Boxing coupled with the hosting of tournaments that are partnered and associated with World Boxing means we are on track to reach our initial objectives of the organisation whilst pursuing the overall goal of keeping boxing in the Olympic Games.”

World Boxing was publicly 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. 

Further information on World Boxing is available at www.worldboxing.org.

World Boxing appoints Professor Jack Anderson as first Ethics Chief

World Boxing, the new international federation established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement, has appointed Professor Jack Anderson, as its first Ethics Chief.

Anderson has more than 25 years’ experience in legal practice and sports arbitration.  He is currently the legal counsel in integrity regulation at Racing Victoria, where he is on extended leave (2022-2025) from Melbourne Law School, having served as its Professor and Director of Sports Law Studies since 2017.

As World Boxing’s Ethics Chief, Anderson will advise on issues and disagreements related to governance and operations; review policies and programmes to ensure they are consistent with World Boxing’s ethics and values; respond to complaints and enquiries of an ethical nature; bring forward issues of ethical importance to the Executive Board and Secretary General; and ensure World Boxing’s operational activities are ethical, fair and transparent.

In this independent position, he will be the first point of contact for all issues and determine, in the first instance, if a complaint is required to be elevated to the approved World Boxing independent third-party organisation for further action or can be dealt with reasonably and fairly within the existing governance remit of the organisation.   The full Terms of Reference for the role of World Boxing’s Ethics Chief can be viewed HERE. 

Anderson was nominated for the role by an independent three-person panel and his appointment was ratified by the Executive Board of World Boxing. His initial appointment runs until the end of 2023 when he will have the opportunity to be re-appointed by the new Executive Board that will be elected at World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, said: “Strong governance, ethical practices and independent, third-party oversight are central to everything that World Boxing stands for as an international federation and the role of the Ethics Chief is a vital part of making sure that these philosophies are ingrained into the day-to-day operations of the organisation.

“Jack has an outstanding track record in sports legal practice and we have no doubt that he will play an important role in enabling World Boxing to deliver the high standards of governance, transparency and ethical practice that we believe all international federations should aspire to.”

Jack Anderson added: “I am impressed by World Boxing’s commitment to transparency, integrity and strong governance and look forward to working with them. A sport with clear and sound ethical values, and the courage to pursue those who do not respect such standards, best protects its athletes. It also promotes greater confidence in the image and integrity of that sport helping it reach new audiences and secure its future.”   

Born in Ireland, Anderson lectured at the Queen’s University Belfast for 13 years before taking up the role of Professor and Director of Sports Law Studies at the University of Melbourne in 2017.

His primary research interest is the relationship between sport and the law. Professor Anderson has published widely in sports law including books such as The Legality of Boxing (Routledge, 2007) and, most recently, Sports Law: A Concise Introduction (Edward Elgar, 2023).

He is a member of the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Integrity Unit; the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Ethics Commission; and a subject expert on the Asia Racing Federation’s Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime.

Formerly an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration for Sport, he now sits on World Athletics’ Disciplinary Tribunal, Football Australia’s NDRC and the National Sports Tribunal of Australia.

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. 

Further information on World Boxing is available at www.worldboxing.org.

World Boxing announces first six members

USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, GB Boxing, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation have been confirmed as the first six official members of World Boxing, the new international federation, established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement and support the growth and development of the sport at local, regional, national and international levels.

All six countries have completed a rigorous application process and been approved as members by the Executive Board of World Boxing. 

The application process for National Federations to become members of World Boxing is overseen by the Secretary General, Simon Toulson, and 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
  • Formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport

As each country’s recognised National Federation for the sport, USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation have been granted full membership status.  GB Boxing has been granted Associate Membership 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.

All six members will attend World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023 and have the opportunity to nominate candidates for offices within the new international federation including the Presidency and Executive Committee and membership of Committees and Commissions.  The five full members will have voting rights at the Congress.

The President of USA Boxing and a member of World Boxing’s Interim Executive Board, Tyson Lee, said:  “It is very pleasing to see that the first cohort of World Boxing members includes National Federations from three continents as it is vital that World Boxing is a truly global endeavour with nations from across the world playing a role in contributing to the creation of a better future for the sport and everyone connected to it, based on collaboration, consultation and consensus.

“We look forward to working with World Boxing and all current and future members to create a global sporting structure that puts the interest of boxers first and operates with rigorous governance practices designed to deliver fairness and sporting integrity.”

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, explained: “Transparency and rigorous governance is central to the way we operate as an organisation and all of the new members have been through a detailed and meticulous process to secure membership.

“We are currently processing a number of applications, which can be time consuming and take several weeks, so it is important that all National Federations who want to nominate candidates and vote in World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in November 2023 make their membership applications soon or they may miss the deadline for being able to participate in this event.” 

World Boxing will be writing to all National Federations this week (w/c 7 August 2023) to invite them to apply and nominate candidates for the office bearing positions of World Boxing by 25 August 2023. 

All nominations will be vetted by an independent third-party and the final list of approved candidates will be published in October 2023 – 30 days before the inaugural Congress.  To be eligible to stand for election, all candidates must represent a National Federation or organisation that is a member 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. 

Further information on World Boxing is available at www.worldboxing.org.

Report

Two-time Olympic medallist and boxing pioneer Nouchka Fontijn backs World Boxing to ensure the sport remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement

Two-time Olympic medallist, Nouchka Fontijn, has pledged her support for World Boxing and its aim of ensuring boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

One of the leading pioneers in driving the growth of women’s boxing globally, Fontijn won middleweight (75kg) silver for the Netherlands at Rio 2016 and followed this with a bronze at Tokyo 2020.  Her final against the USA’s Claressa Shields in Rio remains one of the most watched women’s boxing bouts of all-time.

In a highly decorated career, Fontijn also won four world championship medals (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019) and three European championship medals which included golds at in Bucharest in 2014 and Sofia in 2018.  She also took gold at the 2015 European Games in Baku and silver at the 2019 event in Minsk.

Fontijn’s support for World Boxing reflects her recognition of the importance of the sport remaining in the Olympic Games and a desire for greater sporting integrity in the refereeing and judging of contests.

Fontijn said: “The IOC’s inclusion of women’s boxing into the Olympic program has done so much for women’s boxing development. 

“Millions of girls around the world have been inspired to step into the ring and already at the 2016 Rio Olympics the bout between Claressa Shields and myself was the most watched boxing match of that competition.

“Remaining a part of the Olympics is a great privilege that boxing administrators have to cherish by preserving competition integrity and ensuring fair bout decisions.

“I look forward to a new chapter in boxing history, free of corruption and controversy that has plagued our sport for so long.”

Fontijn’s support for World Boxing echoes that of her great rival, Lauren Price of Wales and Team GB, who is an Athlete Representative on the Interim Executive Board of World Boxing.

Prior to Fontijn’s retirement, following a narrow loss to Price in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic semi-final, the pair enjoyed a fierce rivalry as the two most dominant boxers in the women’s middleweight division between 2017 and 2021.

Fontijn defeated Price in the semi-finals of the 2018 world championships in New Delhi and European championships of the same year.  The Welsh women gained revenge with victories in the finals of the 2019 European Games in Minsk and that year’s world championship final in Ulan-Ude.

2020 Olympic middleweight champion, Lauren Price, added: “Nouchka was one of the toughest opponents I ever faced.  We were rivals but we had great respect for each other. 

“She was a great competitor and a real role model for women’s boxing.  Like me, she knows how important it is that boxing remains part of the Olympic Games and it is no surprise to see that she is backing World Boxing.”

Press Release

USA Boxing Women’s Championships in Ohio to be delivered in association with World Boxing

The inaugural USA Women’s Boxing Championships in Toldeo, Ohio, 22-29 July 2023, will be delivered in association with World Boxing.

The eight-day invitational event is open to novice (beginner) and open (experienced) boxers of all ages from pee wee (aged 8-10) to masters (35 and over) and aims to create opportunities for women of all ages and abilities to compete.

More than 200 boxers from eight National Federations across four continents are currently registered to take part.

The President of USA Boxing and a member of World Boxing’s Interim Executive Board, Tyson Lee, said: “USA Boxing is extremely proud to be able to host this event in assocaition with World Boxing.  The Championships aim to celebrate women and create valuable competition opportunities for female boxers of all standards and ages. 

“Working with USA Boxing to deliver this event is a sign of World Boxing’s support for boxers at every level, from the grassroots to the elite, and its commitment to creating competitive opportunities that will enable all boxers to flourish.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023.  It will hold its inaugural Congress in November and plans to publish details of its competition strategy, tournament calendar and the bidding process for staging events in the latter part of 2023.

Report

Six nations secure gold on final day of action at European Games 2023 as France finishes top of the boxing medal table with three gold and seven Olympic qualifiers

The last six gold medals of the European Games were shared by men and women from Turkey, France, Ireland, Bulgaria, Denmark and Great Britain on the final day of boxing in Poland.

Turkey’s, Busenaz Cakiroglu, Amina Zidani from France and Ireland’s Aoife O’Rourke secured gold in the women’s weights.  Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez, Nikolai Terteryan of Denmark and Great Briain’s Delicious Orie finished top of the podium in the men’s competition.

Zidani’s gold ensured that France finished top of the boxing medal table.  Next year’s host nation also secured the most Olympic qualification places from the event with seven.

The first contest of the day saw Busenaz Cakiroglu of Turkey become a two-time European Games champion as she unanimously defeated Wassila Lkhadiri of France in the light-flyweight (50kg) category to win her country’s second gold medal of the finals weekend.

At featherweight (57kg) Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva had looked like the favourite having eliminated Italy’s Irma Testa in her the semi-final, however France’s Amina Zidani showed the form which earnt her a bronze medal at the 2023 world championships to secure a split decision 4-1 victory.

The final bout of the women’s competition saw Ireland’s two-time European champion Aoife O’Rourke secure a unanimous points win over France’s Davina Michel at middleweight (75kg).  O’Rourke’s victory followed the win by her teammate Kellie Harrington in yesterday’s lightweight (60kg) final and confirmed Ireland’s status as one of Europe’s powerhouse nations in women’s boxing.

The closing stages of the men’s competition began with a closely fought featherweight (57kg) contest where Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez get the better of Spain’s Jose Quiles to win his country’s second gold medal of the Games.

At light-middleweight Denmark’s European U22 Champion Nikolai Terteryan served notice of his talent to secure a split decision victory over Serbia’s Vakhid Abbasov and win his country’s only medal of the Games.

The final contest of the boxing competition pitched Great Britain’s Delicious Orie against Mahammad Abdullayev of Azerbaijan in the super-heavyweight final.  After a close opening round the man from Great Britain took control of the contest to secure a unanimous 5-0 victory and maintain his country’s status as one of the world’s leading nations in the super-heavyweight division.

All results at the European Games 2023 can be viewed at  – https://results.european-games.org/EG2023/ENG/schedule/BOX/2023-06-24/all-event

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02.07 European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023 Boxing Medal Ceremony Nowy Targ Fot Tomasz Jagodzinski

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Two golds cap a great week for France on first day of boxing finals at European Games 2023

The first session of boxing finals at the European Games 2023 saw France continue its excellent run at the competition as flyweight (51kg) Bilal Bennama and light-welterweight (63.5kg) Sofiane Oumiha secured gold medals.

It capped a superb week for the French team which has secured seven qualification places for its home Olympic next year – the most of any country at the European Games.

Bilal Bennama has been in great form all week and, despite a brave effort from Turkey’s rising star Samet Gumus, the Frenchman used his clever movement and ring skills to earn a split decision victory and take gold.

At light-welterweight, three-time world champion, Sofiane Oumiha, used all his experience to gain the upper hand over Georgia’s Lasha Guruli.  The Georgian started well but from the second round onwards, Oumiha enjoyed the better of the exchanges as he went on to secure a 4-1 split decision victory.

The first day of finals also saw two reigning Olympic champions serve notice that they will be a force to reckon with in Paris.

At lightweight (60kg), Ireland’s Kellie Harrington secured a unanimous win over Natalia Shadrina of Serbia to add to her ever expanding list of world and European titles.

Turkey’s Busenaz Surmeneli was in equally dominant form in the welterweight (66kg) final and won every round on-route to a unanimous victory over Belgium’s Oshin Derieuw.  The Turk is now a two-time world champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist and will be a formidable force in Paris next year.

Joining Harrington and Surmeneli in Paris for her third Olympic Games will be Bulgaria’s Stanimira Petrova who showed all of her quality and technical skills in the bantamweight (54kg) final.  The highly experienced Bulgarian was rarely troubled by Romania’s Lacramioara Perijoc and secured a unanimous victory to land her second European Games gold medal.

Another boxer to win their second European Games title was Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak, who added to the middleweight gold he won in 2019 with victory in the light-heavyweight (80kg) division.  The Ukrainian’s relentless style was too much for Croatia’s Gabrijel Veocic and resulted in the referee stepping-in to stop the contest in favour of Khzhniak in the second round.

The final bout of the days saw Ireland’s Jack Marley take on Italy’s Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine in the heavyweight (92kg) final.  After Harrington’s earlier success Irish hopes were high for Marley however the Italian has won world and European medals in recent years and showed why he is regarded as one of the most dominant heavyweight’s on the continent as he boxed his way to a unanimous victory.

The finals of the women’s 50kg, 57kg, 75kg and the men’s 57kg, 71kg and 92kg+ will take place on Sunday 2 July 2023 from 1300 (CET).

All the action can be viewed live here – https://europeangames.tv/sports/boxing

The draw and all results at the European Games 2023 can be viewed at  – https://results.european-games.org/EG2023/ENG/schedule/BOX/2023-06-24/all-event

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