World Boxing has reached the milestone of 60 members after the applications to join from the National Federations for boxing in Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Myanmar and Palestine were approved at the most recent meeting of its Executive Board (12 December 2024).
The five new members have completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing. They are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, are able to demonstrate: a transparent and open election process; the existence and operation of WADA-recognised anti-doping polices and processes; a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process; a solid national and international boxing sports programme; and formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport
The meeting of World Boxing’s Executive Board also confirmed a series of decisions relating to its competition calendar which included:
- To progress negotiations with the National Federations of Brazil, Germany, Kazakhstan and India to host World Boxing Cup events in 2025. The plan is to hold the first World Boxing Cup of the year in Brazil in March 2025, followed by competitions in Germany, Kazakhstan and India. Dates and venues will be confirmed in January 2025
- The final World Boxing Cup of the year in New Delhi, India, in November 2025 will also host the third World Boxing Congress, which will include elections for the Presidency and Executive Board
- Following a bidding process, Astana in Kazakhstan was selected as the location for the 2027 Elite World Boxing Championships for men and women
Full details of World Boxing’s competition calendar for 2025 will be published once it has been approved by the Sport and Competition Committee.
The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “World Boxing has achieved an enormous amount in the last 12 months and to approach the end of the year with 60 members is a fantastic achievement and conclusive evidence of the widespread desire for change that exists in international boxing.
“The decision of so many National Federations to join World Boxing is a sign of the critical importance of remaining part of the Olympic Movement to the future health and stability of our sport and a recognition that this can only be achieved by countries joining and supporting World Boxing.
“After the huge success of our first World Boxing Cup series in 2024, it is fantastic that we have four such strong bids to host the competition in 2025 and I would like to thank the National Federations of Brazil, Germany, Kazakhstan and India for their ongoing support and commitment.
“It is great news that we have been able to confirm Astana in Kazakhstan as the host of our second Elite World Boxing Championships in 2027 after next year’s first edition which will take place in Liverpool, England in September 2025. I would like to thank the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation for its commitment to World Boxing in agreeing to host both a World Boxing Cup and a World Boxing Championships over the next three years.
“I am also very grateful to the Boxing Federation of India for its ongoing support in bidding to host both a World Boxing Cup and our next Congress in 2025 in New Delhi.
“That we are able to put these dates in place and continue to build our competition calendar is a sign of the increased stability that World Boxing is bringing to the sport for our members and augurs very well for the future.
“The momentum is building and I look forward to announcing more members in the near future as we are continuing to process applications from more countries who want to be part of World Boxing and support our mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”
Gennadiy Golovkin, President of the Kazakhstan National Olympic Committee and Chair of World Boxing’s Olympic Commission, added: “It is a great honour and responsibility for Kazakhstan to host the 2027 World Boxing Championship, which will take place in the pre-Olympic cycle. Our country has successful experience in hosting large-scale world sports competitions at the highest level, and I am confident that this tournament will be no exception. Understanding the importance of this World Championship on the eve of the Olympics in Los Angeles, I thank World Boxing for the trust placed in us.”
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, to support and assist the process of developing a pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored Games.