World Boxing has confirmed the details of its new AIN procedure – ‘Athlètes Individuels Neutres’ (Individual Neutral Athletes) – which will be used to determine the basis on which athletes, coaches, support staff and officials from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to participate in international competitions organised by World Boxing, its Continental Confederation for Europe, European Boxing, or international competitions organised by World Boxing member National Federations.
It means that delegations from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate with national flags, uniforms or anthems and will have to pass a detailed vetting process to be able to take part in World Boxing events.
The AIN procedure was approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing at its most recent meeting in April 2026 and reflects the approach taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It has been developed following the decision by the Executive Board of World Boxing, at its previous meeting in March 2026, to endorse membership applications from the Belarussian Boxing Federation and the Russian Boxing Federation that will allow their boxers to compete in World Boxing events.
Key details of the AIN procedure are:
Flags:
- There will be no use of the country or National Federation flag during the competition
- If a boxer from an AIN country wins a gold medal, the national anthem will not be played
- If a boxer from an AIN country wins a medal, the AIN logo will be used on a flag in the medal ceremony
- The boxers will be represented on television graphics and all competition information as AIN
- This will be applied at all age category events directly organised by World Boxing or European Boxing
Uniforms:
- Boxers will appear with AIN on their vests and not RUS or BLR
- The logo of the National Federation or the country will not be permitted to appear anywhere on a boxer’s uniform
- Coaches, support staff and Team Officials will have to wear neutral uniforms which will have to be submitted to World Boxing prior to the competition for validation
- From arrival until departure, not a single member of the AIN delegation will be permitted to wear any item that features their country or National Federation’s flag or logo in any competition setting, including the entry check, draw, weigh-in or technical meeting
- This will be applied at all age category events organised by World Boxing, European Boxing or International Events organised by national federations where national teams participate.
Eligibility and Vetting:
- Athlete entries by Russia and Belarus must be made directly to the World Boxing Sport Department and not directly through the online entry system for the event, however the deadlines in the invitation package will still apply and will not be modified
- World Boxing will work with an expert, independent third party to conduct a series of checks on all athletes from Russia and Belarus that are entered into its competitions to ensure they do not have a history of supporting the war in Ukraine, are not paid by the military or security forces, are not members of clubs linked to the army or police force and have not participated in any events organised by The International Military Sports Council (CISM) since the start of the war in Ukraine
- The cost of the vetting process for each athlete will be covered by the National Federation for Russia or Belarus and must be paid in advance of their participation in the competition
- The vetting process will apply to all male and female athletes at Elite World Boxing competition, but will not apply to U19 or younger athletes
- The vetting process will also apply to coaches and support staff that will be assisting male and female boxers at Elite and U19 competitions and the costs of this will also be paid by the National Federations
- Technical Officials (TO) from the two countries will be treated as any other TO and vetted in line with World Boxing’s existing processes; additional checks may be conducted on TOs, but this will not be at the cost of the National Federation as the TO is not representing their country. Currently there are no Technical Officials accredited from the two countries.
- If the vetting process for any individual produces a result that is not clear or raises further questions, a commission appointed by World Boxing’s Executive Board will review the case
- The decision of the commission will be final and not open to appeal unless new information is provided
The AIN procedure has been introduced with immediate effect following the decision of World Boxing’s Executive Board and the Secretary General has written to the Belarussian Boxing Federation and the Russian Boxing Federation to provide them with details of the procedure and how it will be implemented.