World Boxing has welcomed the creation of a new Asian confederation to represent and promote boxing in the region, marking a significant milestone for the sport.
The new confederation, which will be aligned to World Boxing, is being created following the decision by the President of the Thailand Boxing Association, Mr. Pichai Chunhavajira, to step down from the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) following challenges in securing its independence from the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Boris van der Vorst, the President of World Boxing, hailed this development as a “historic moment” in the evolution of the sport. He said: “We are thrilled to take this step towards empowering boxing in Asia. We are confident that the new Asian boxing confederation will thrive and further elevate the sport in the region.”
The newly formed confederation has received strong support from the World Boxing community. Gennadiy Golovkin, Chair of the World Boxing Olympic Commission and a celebrated champion, warmly welcomed a new Asian boxing confederation.
Golovkin said: “It is a privilege to have a clean breakthrough organization for Asia. Asian Boxing will with dedication advance the sport in Asia and undoubtedly make a lasting impact.”
The formation of a new Asian confederation marks a new era for boxing in the region. It will bring together stakeholders with a shared commitment to the principles of independence, fairness, and ensuring that the interest of athletes are at the centre of decision making.
World Boxing will collaborate with the new Asian boxing confederation to support its goals and ensure the continued success of boxing worldwide.
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, Gennadiy Golovkin, to support the process of developing a pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored to the Olympic Games.
