NEWS

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.

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.

World Boxing has secured an agreement with the International Testing Agency (ITA) for it to provide all of its anti-doping services and clean sport activities.

The agreement means that from 1 October 2024, World Boxing has delegated its entire clean sport activities to the ITA with the aim of providing boxers with a high-quality anti-doping program.

The initial 4-year contract between World Boxing and the ITA also includes independent results management for any potential anti-doping rule violations that may arise.

In its efforts to achieve compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and with the desire to offer its athletes an expert and independent anti-doping program, World Boxing has entrusted the ITA to design and implement a new anti-doping programme as of 1 October 2024, while also supporting the organisation in attaining Code Signatory status.

The ITA will manage the entire testing program for World Boxing, both for in-competition and out-of-competition doping controls. These tests will be based on a bespoke risk assessment that takes into account all relevant factors, including the physiological profile and sporting specificities of boxing.

The management of Athlete Biological Passports (ABPs) of boxing athletes and the processing of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) will also be handled by the ITA. In addition, it will strengthen World Boxing’s anti-doping efforts with a long-term sample retention strategy that will allow selected samples to be stored and re-analysed for up to ten years after the date of collection.

In order to provide boxing athletes with the most comprehensive anti-doping program possible, the ITA will complete the World Boxing anti-doping program with intelligence & investigations activities and respond to all information shared confidentially through the ITA’s secure reporting platform REVEAL.

All clean sport activities on behalf of World Boxing will be conducted by the ITA in strict compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and its International Standards, with the ITA’s dedicated Regulatory Compliance unit ensuring full compliance with the mandatory rules. All potential anti-doping rule violations arising from the anti-doping program will be subject to independent results management by the ITA.

The ITA will also raise awareness of doping, support the values of clean sport, and contribute to the prevention of doping among boxing athletes by establishing an education plan in line with WADA’s International Standard for Education.

“We welcome World Boxing as our newest partner at the ITA,” said ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen. “Our dedicated team remains committed to contribute to the implementation of a robust and trustworthy clean sport program for boxing athletes all over the world as is already the case with ITA’s management of other key boxing tournaments, including all Olympic boxing competitions. With a proven track record of managing anti-doping programs for various combat sports, the ITA is well versed in tailoring strategies to the specific needs of these athletes. We are committed to supporting all athletes with the best independent clean sport measures possible and ensure fair competition in sport.”

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, added: “World Boxing is committed to sporting integrity and clean sport.  The ITA is a widely respected organisaiton and  having this relationship in place will ensure that World Boxing is able to deliver a comprehenisve program of testing in and out of competition and provide educaton to National Federations and ther boxers on the importance of clean sport.”