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Everything you need to know:World Boxing U19 World Championships 2026 Budva

The future of Olympic-style boxing takes centre stage this October as the world’s best young athletes head to Montenegro for the second edition of the World Boxing U19 World Championships.

From October 16-27, Budva will welcome the next generation of boxing talent for two weeks of top-class bouts. It follows the inaugural championships in Colorado back in 2024, with the competition returning in an expanded format as World Boxing continues to build a global pathway for young athletes.

Here’s everything you need to know before the action gets underway.

What is the World Boxing U19 World Championships?

The World Boxing U19 World Championships is World Boxing’s premier global competition for boxers aged under 19. The event gives rising talents the opportunity to compete against the world’s best young athletes while gaining experience on the international stage.

The championships form a key part of World Boxing’s athlete development pathway, helping bridge the gap between junior boxing and elite senior competition. It is viewed as an important stepping stone toward future continental, world and Olympic events.

When and where is it taking place?

The championships will be held in Budva, Montenegro, from 16-27 October 2026. Action will take place every day apart from 26 October which will be a rest day ahead of the gold medal bouts.

Bouts will take place at the Mediterranean Sports Center in Budva, a coastal city on Montenegro’s coast. The tournament marks the first event from the official World Boxing competition calendar to be hosted in Montenegro.

Who will be competing?

69 National Federations from across the world have sent boxers to the event, with male and female boxers competing across 20 weight categories.

How to watch:

Every single bout of the competition will be livestreamed on World Boxing TV.

Subscriptions cost $5.99 per month and will include every session live with English and Russian commentary from the semi-finals onwards.

How to follow along:

Action gets underway with one evening session on Friday 16 October. All event information, including live results, daily schedules and tournament standings can be viewed on the event website.

Images from the competition will be added daily to World Boxing’s photo gallery.

Follow World Boxing’s social media channels to keep up with future events:

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By World Boxing

Historic Youth Olympic Games in Dakar provides a world-class opportunity for the next generation of boxers

116 boxers from 77 National Olympic Committees will take part when the boxing competition gets underway at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, 31 October – 13 November 2026.

It will be the fourth edition of the Youth version of the Games and the first ever sporting event hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Africa.

Since it was first held in 2010, the Youth Olympic Games has been a key event in the boxing calendar and an important milestone on the pathway into elite boxing that provides an opportunity for boxers, aged 17 to compete at a global level.

It aims to give young boxers an opportunity to compete at a major multi-sport event and in the three previous editions in Singapore in 2010, Nanjing in 2014 and Buenos Aries in 2018, 11 boxers that have won medals at the Youth competition have gone on to achieve the same at the Olympic Games.

Famous names that have achieved this include the current WBO junior welterweight world champion, Shakur Stephenson of the USA, who won Youth gold in 2014 and Olympic silver at Rio 2016, and Cuba’s Robeisy Ramírez who followed his victory at Singapore 2010, with double Olympic gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016, before going on to win world titles in the professional ranks.

Boxers currently competing in the Olympic-style format under the World Boxing umbrella that have emulated this include Italy’s Irma Testa (silver in 2014 and bronze at Tokyo 2020), Chen Nien-Chin of Chinese Taipei (silver in 2014 and bronze at Paris 2024) and Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan who followed Youth gold at Buenos Aires in 2018 with podium topping performances at Paris 2024 and the inaugural 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool.

Another boxer that has won medals at both the Youth Olympics and the Olympic Games is the Chair of World Boxing’s Athlete Committee, Caitlin Parker, who secured bronze medals in the middleweight (W75kg) division at Nanjing in 2014 and a decade later at the Paris Olympics. The Australian has no doubt about the value of the Youth Olympic Games in her development and the benefits it can have in preparing young boxers for a successful career in elite boxing.

Caitlin explained: “Competing at the Youth Olympic Games was an incredible experience and gave me my first real taste of a major multi-sport event. Winning a medal gave me the confidence that I belonged at that level and made me even more determined to one day stand on the Olympic podium.

“Looking back, that experience played a valuable role in my transition into elite boxing and development in the sport. When I went on to compete at the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, I had a better understanding of what to expect and the environment felt familiar.

“From a bronze at the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 to a bronze at the Olympic Games 10 years later was a pretty special full circle moment.”

The boxing competition at this year’s Youth Olympic Games will be the first to feature gender parity with action at five weight classes each for males and females.

The 116 boxers have been selected by their National Federations based on their performances at Youth or U19 tournaments and the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2026 which was specifically designed to provide an opportunity for boxers that were eligible to compete at Dakar 2026 to demonstrate they met the standard required for participation at a Youth Olympic Games.

77 countries will take part in the tournament which will run from 7-12 November 2026, with two sessions per day.

The line-up of 57 men and 59 women includes three representatives from the home nation, Senegal, who will have boxers in the men’s flyweight (M50kg) category and the women’s featherweight (W57kg) and lightweight (W60kg) divisions.

As part of World Boxing’s role in Dakar, the USA’s Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and Deputy Chair of World Boxing’s Athlete Committee, Richard Torrez Jr, will be attending the event as a mentor to provide support, tips and advice to the boxers.

The tournament will be the first time that World Boxing has organised a competition on behalf of the IOC and solidifies its status as the International Federation for boxing within the Olympic family.

The President of World Boxing, Gennadiy Golovkin, said: “It is fantastic for our sport that boxing is part of the Youth Olympic Games. World Boxing is committed to being a supportive and enthusiastic partner within the Olympic Movement and it is a privilege that we have been given responsibility for the organisation and delivery of the boxing competition in Dakar.

“Tournaments like this are a brilliant opportunity for young men and women to compete on a global stage against the best boxers in the world in their age group and it is very important that at World Boxing we continue to deliver competitions like this that support the development of boxers across the world and provide them with competitive opportunities that help to prepare them for the transition into elite level boxing. “You only have to look at the names that have won medals at previous editions of the Youth Olympic Games to see that this tournament can be a springboard for a long and successful career and I hope that many of the boxers that compete or win medals in Dakar go on to achieve great things in our sport.”

World Boxing and Commonwealth Sport review partnership and future cooperation

Lausanne, Switzerland, 7 October 2026 — World Boxing and Commonwealth Sport held a strategic meeting in Lausanne during the SportAccord Forum 2026 to review their existing cooperation, discuss lessons from Glasgow 2026 and look ahead to future opportunities, including the Amdavad 2030 Commonwealth Games.

The meeting included an update from Commonwealth Sport on its refreshed strategy, alongside an update from World Boxing on the organisation’s current priorities and international development.

A key part of the discussion focused on the existing Memorandum of Understanding between World Boxing and Commonwealth Sport, including the progress made to date, areas for continued cooperation and the next steps in the relationship. The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange feedback on the operational delivery of Glasgow 2026 and identify areas where both organisations can further strengthen their cooperation.

The two organisations also reflected on the successful delivery of the boxing competition at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which was managed and overseen by World Boxing. The tournament brought together 201 boxers from 43 Commonwealth Games Associations and marked a significant milestone for the sport, becoming the first Commonwealth Games boxing competition to feature an equal number of weight categories for men and women, with seven each.

World Boxing Secretary General Tom Dielen commented:

“With more than 200 boxers from 43 CGAs competing, and for the first time full parity between men’s and women’s weight categories, I think we saw the potential of close cooperation between the two organisations.

Glasgow also gave us a lot to take forward. We now have a clearer picture of what worked well, where we can improve, and how we can build the boxing programme further as we look towards Amdavad 2030.

Today’s meeting was a good opportunity to discuss those next steps, including how we continue to support athletes, strengthen delivery and make sure boxing remains an important part of the Commonwealth Games.”

The meeting also covered World Boxing’s ongoing work with the International Olympic Committee and preparations relevant to Los Angeles 2028, as well as how developments within the Olympic boxing pathway may be relevant to Commonwealth Sport.

Looking further ahead, the two organisations discussed Amdavad 2030, where boxing is already confirmed as part of the Commonwealth Games sport programme. The Centenary Games will feature between 15 and 17 sports and will mark 100 years since the first Commonwealth Games in 1930.

As part of the next steps, World Boxing and Commonwealth Sport will work on an updated Memorandum of Understanding, which is expected to be finalised and signed in the near future.

Both organisations agreed to continue building on the successful cooperation established around Glasgow 2026, with a focus on future Games, athlete opportunities and the continued development of boxing across the Commonwealth Sport Movement.

World Boxing leadership joins international sports community at SportAccord Forum 2026

FORUM SPORT ACCORD 2026

Lausanne, Switzerland, 6 October 2026 — World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin, Secretary General Tom Dielen and Chief of Staff Alimzhan Akayev are attending the SportAccord Forum 2026 in Lausanne, joining leaders from across the Olympic Movement and international sport.

Taking place from 5–7 October at the Olympic Museum, the Forum brings together more than 500 delegates representing over 120 International Federations, alongside the IOC, host destinations, partners and senior figures from across the global sports community.

Held under the theme “When the Playbook Changes: Leading Sport in a New Reality”, the three-day programme explores some of the major forces reshaping international sport, from governance and participation to technology, the changing events landscape and the future of hosting.

During the Forum, the World Boxing delegation has already met with the Mexican Minister of Sport to discuss opportunities for future World Boxing events in Mexico and the potential for further cooperation around the development and hosting of international boxing competitions.

World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin said:

“For us SportAccord Forum is a platform to have direct conversations with colleagues from other federations, the IOC and the wider Olympic Movement, to understand what others are working on and to share where World Boxing is heading. Boxing has gone through significant change in recent years, so building these relationships are particularly important for us. We want to stay close to the wider sports community, learn from others and make sure World Boxing continues to develop in a way that is credible, practical and focused on the needs of our athletes and members.”

The programme of meetings will continue on Wednesday, including a discussion with representatives of the Commonwealth Games, providing a further opportunity to explore World Boxing’s engagement with the wider international multi-sport event community.

The 2026 edition of the Forum also introduces the SportAccord City Forum, bringing International Federations together with cities, destinations and governments to explore the future of hosting major sporting events, including infrastructure, sustainability, economic impact and long-term legacy.

For World Boxing, the Forum provides an important opportunity to engage directly with colleagues from across the Olympic Movement, strengthen international relationships and exchange perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing International Federations.

2024 Champion explains why the forthcoming Under 19 World Boxing Championships in Budva can be the springboard for a successful career in Olympic-style boxing

2024 Champion explains why the forthcoming Under 19 World Boxing Championships in Budva can be the springboard for a successful career in Olympic-style boxing.

MORE THAN 550 male and female boxers from over 75 National Federations will take part in the forthcoming U19 World Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro, 16-27 October 2026.

The 12-day competition at the Mediterranean Sports Venue in Budva will feature action at 10 weight classes each for men and women.

It is the second ever U19 World Boxing Championships and follows the inaugural event in Colorado Springs, USA, in October and November 2024, when 20 male and female boxers won gold medals.

The U19 championships is a key component of World Boxing’s competition calendar which is designed to deliver a competitive opportunity for 17 and 18-year-olds that gives them exposure to the best boxers in the world at their age and creates a pathway to help them manage the transition into elite, non-age group, international boxing.

One boxer who enjoyed success at the previous U19 World Boxing Championships and has gone on to navigate the move into elite, Olympic-style boxing is Daniel Pitt from Wales.

Daniel began boxing at the age of 12 and after enjoying national success as a junior and youth, was selected by Wales to compete at the inaugural U19 championships in Colorado Springs where he defeated Danial Raimbekov of Kazakhstan in the final to win cruiserweight (M85kg) gold.

In the elite ranks he has had 11 bouts at international competitions across Europe. In April 2026, he won light-heavyweight (M80kg) bronze at the Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki. Most recently, he narrowly missed out on a medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

He is currently on a break from international boxing to focus full-time on his final year of studies at Cardiff Metropolitan University. However, the 20-year-old, who was also elected to World Boxing’s Athlete Committee in November 2025, credits his experience at the U19 World Championships as a key factor in assisting his transition into elite, senior boxing.

“Experience is everything in boxing and, for me, the U19s worlds was really important,” explained Daniel. “As a youth, I had boxed mainly in Europe, but the U19s featured athletes from all over the world, so suddenly it meant I was being exposed to boxers and styles that I had never faced before.

“My first bout was against India and in the final I faced a Kazakh, so competing against boxers from these top nations was a completely new experience.

“It was a huge challenge to be thrown in against opponents of that quality, so to get the victory was a massive confidence boost. It gave me the belief that I could go on to be successful.”

As a major global tournament, the build-up to the U19s World Boxing Championships and the level of interest in the event brought its own challenges.

According to Daniel: “There was much more pressure, so learning to cope with that was important. At home in Wales there was a lot publicity and then when we got to the USA, there was much more media interest than I had been used to.

“It added to the pressure, so being able to come through that and cope with those elements outside of the ring is another part of being successful at these tournaments that can prepare you for the future. I felt it helped me to grow and solidified me as a boxer.”

Events like the U19 World Boxing Championships, which will feature over 350 males and nearly 200 females, are a global showcase for Olympic-style boxing and provide a platform for the world’s best 17 and 18-year-olds to demonstrate their skills.

The level of the boxers will be extremely high, and according to Daniel, the quality of the competition means that any man or woman who wins a medal in Budva can believe that they have a good chance of building a successful career in international boxing.

He added: “At events like this, it is the best against the best, so even though you know there are still more levels to go to reach the very top, you have shown that you can compete successfully at world level. That can provide a massive confidence boost when you take the next step into elite boxing.”

There is no doubt that the U19 Championships will be a vitally important staging post in the development of many young boxers, some of whom may go on to become future stars and possible Olympic medallists.

But for all it’s significance as a competition, Daniel’s final message to the 550 plus competitors that will step through the ropes in Budva is to try and enjoy the experience.

He added: “Boxing has taken me to places that I never thought I would go, so my advice to all the boxers is to train hard and do your best, but whatever happens, try and enjoy the experience.

“It is a great achievement just to be at the competition, so give it your all and make the most of it.”

The draw for the U19 World Boxing Championships is on Thursday 15 October 2026. The action will get underway on Friday 16 October when there will be two rings and two sessions of boxing per day. There will be a rest day on Monday 26 October and the finals will be held in a single ring over two sessions on Tuesday 27 October 2026.

The competition will be streamed live on World Boxing TV.

World Boxing will be posting updates throughout on its social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.

Lee Murgatroyd for World Boxing

Eleven champions crowned as India top Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games boxing medal table

Credit Asian boxing

Eleven champions were crowned on a thrilling final day of boxing at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on Friday, 2 October.

India topped the boxing medal table with three gold and three bronze medals, followed by Uzbekistan, who earned two golds, one silver and four bronzes. Kazakhstan finished third with two gold and three bronze medals. The remaining gold medals were shared one apiece by China, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Thailand.

In the opening session, China’s Wu Yu claimed the first boxing gold medal of the day in the women’s 51kg division, defeating Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam by a 5:0 unanimous decision.

India celebrated gold in the women’s 75kg division as Lovlina Borgohain produced a commanding performance against China’s Bao Ziyi, securing a 5:0 unanimous decision.

In the women’s 60kg final, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting added another major title to her decorated career with a 5:0 unanimous victory over China’s Yang Chengyu.

Japan celebrated a home champion as Rui Yamaguchi defeated the Philippines’ Carlo Paalam in the men’s 55kgfinal, delivering gold for the host nation in front of the home crowd.

Kazakhstan’s Torekhan Sabyrkhan continued his rise on the international stage by claiming the men’s 70kg title. Sabyrkhan defeated Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash by a 5:0 unanimous decision to become Asian Games champion.

The men’s 90kg title went to Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev, who defeated China’s Han Xuezhen by a 5:0 unanimous decision to add Asian Games gold to his growing collection of international honours.

Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang opened the final session by claiming the women’s 54kg gold medal. Chongprongklang defeated DPR Korea’s Pang Chol Mi by a 4:1 split decision.

India then celebrated their second women’s boxing gold of the day as Parveen defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin in the women’s 65kg final. The closely contested bout ended in a 3:2 split decision in favour of the Indian boxer.

Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov added Asian Games gold to his outstanding international record in the men’s 60kg division. The Olympic champion produced a commanding performance against Korea’s Jang Donghwan, securing a 5:0 unanimous decision.

India returned to the top of the podium in the men’s 80kg division as Ankush defeated Korea’s Kim Minseong 4:0. The victory completed an impressive campaign for the Indian boxer, who had defeated Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboev in the semi-finals.

The final boxing gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games was claimed by Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay, who defeated Uzbekistan’s Jakhongir Zokirov by a 5:0 unanimous decision in the men’s +90kg final.

The final session brought the boxing competition to a close at Nishio Gymnasium, with champions crowned across all 11 weight categories.

Event photos are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/202617745@N04/albums/

All results and other tournament information is available here: https://results.asiangames2026.org/#/discipline/BOX

Follow World Boxing’s social media channels to keep up with future events:

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/officialworldboxing

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWorldBoxing

X – https://x.com/RealWorldBoxing

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-boxing

Press release issued by Asian Boxing and adapted by World Boxing.

Asian Games finalists confirmed as semi-finals conclude in Aichi-Nagoya

Credit Asian Boxing

The semi-final stage concluded at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on Wednesday, 30 September, with 12 bouts at Nishio Gymnasium determining the finalists across six weight categories.

China enjoyed a strong session with four boxers advancing to their respective finals, while Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, India, the Philippines, Japan, Kazakhstan, Jordan and Uzbekistan also secured places in the gold medal bouts.

In the women’s 51kg division, China’s Wu Yu produced a unanimous 5:0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova. Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam also booked her place in the final with a 5:0 unanimous win against Kazakhstan’s Alua Balkibekova.

Olympian Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei advanced in the women’s 60kg division following a unanimous 5:0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova. China’s Yang Chengyu joined her in the final after defeating India’s Priya by a 4:1 split decision.

China secured another finalist in the women’s 75kg category as Bao Ziyi defeated Vietnam’s Luu Diem Quynh by a 5:0 unanimous decision. India’s Lovlina Borgohain completed the final pairing after a closely contested 3:2 split-decision victory against Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova.

The men’s semi-finals began with a major victory for the Philippines as Carlo Paalam edged Kazakhstan’s Makhmud Sabyrkhan by a 3:2 split decision in the 55kg division. Japan’s Rui Yamaguchi then produced a unanimous 5:0 victory over Mongolia’s Bilguunsaikhan Kharkhuu to secure the other place in the final.

At 70kg, Kazakhstan’s Torekhan Sabyrkhan delivered a commanding 5:0 unanimous win over Uzbekistan’s Shavkatjon Boltaev. Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash advanced from the other semi-final, defeating Japan’s Sewonrets Okazawa by a 3:0 points decision.

Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev reached the men’s 90kg final with a 4:1 split-decision victory over India’s Kapil Pokhariya, while China’s Han Xuezhen defeated Tajikistan’s Parviz Karimov by a 4:0 points decision to complete the finalists from Session 18.

With semi-final action complete and the final line-ups confirmed, attention turns to the gold medal bouts on Friday, 2 October.

Daily event photos are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/202617745@N04/albums/

Daily schedules, draw sheets and results are available here: https://results.asiangames2026.org/#/discipline/BOX

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

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/officialworldboxing

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWorldBoxing

X – https://x.com/RealWorldBoxing

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-boxing

Press release issued by Asian Boxing and adapted by World Boxing.

Finalists confirmed as boxing reaches latter stages at Aichi-Nagoya 2026

Credit Asian Boxing

The semifinal stage was the focus for Day 9 of the boxing competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Ten bouts at Nishio Gymnasium decided finalists across the women’s 54kg and 65kg and the men’s 60kg, 80kg and +90kg divisions.

Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang secured her place in the women’s 54kg final after a closely contested 3-2 victory over Japan’s Tsukimi Namiki. She will meet DPR Korea’s Pang Chol Mi, who produced a unanimous 5-0 victory over China’s Zhao Xuan.

In the women’s 65kg division, Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin advanced following a 3-2 win over DPR Korea’s Hwang Hyo Sun. India’s Parveen completed the final pairing with an impressive unanimous 5-0 victory over China’s Li Shu.

Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov continued his campaign in the men’s 60kg division with a 4-1 victory over Japan’s Shunsuke Kitamoto. Korea’s Jang Donghwan also booked his place in the final after defeating Tajikistan’s Akmal Ubaidov by unanimous 5-0 decision.

India celebrated another finalist in the men’s 80kg division as Ankush defeated Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboev 4-1. Korea’s Kim Minseong will face him in the final after recording a unanimous 5-0 victory over Jordan’s Hussein Iashaish.

Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay progressed to the men’s +90kg final with a unanimous 5-0 victory over India’s Narender.

Uzbekistan’s Jakhongir Zokirov completed the session by advancing against Iran’s Amir Esmaeili Vandaei, with the contest stopped due to injury in the second round.

With places in the finals now secured, the competition moves closer to its decisive stage as Asia’s leading boxers continue their pursuit of Asian Games gold.

Daily event photos are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/202617745@N04/albums/

Daily schedules, draw sheets and results are available here: https://results.asiangames2026.org/#/discipline/BOX

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

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/officialworldboxing

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWorldBoxing

X – https://x.com/RealWorldBoxing

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-boxing

Press release issued by Asian Boxing and adapted by World Boxing.