World Boxing, the new international federation established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement, will hold its inaugural Congress at the Mainarcaden Venue in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on 24 and 25 November 2023.
The Congress will host World Boxing’s first ever elections when members will vote for a range of offices including President, Vice President (VP) and places on World Boxing’s Executive Board along with the Chairs of the Sport and Competition Committee, the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.
Frankfurt am Main has been specifically chosen as the location for World Boxing’s first elections owing to its historical significance as the cradle of the German democratic movement and the place (Frankfurter Nationalversammlung) where the first freely elected parliament for all German states first sat in May 1848.
All of the National Federations that have joined World Boxing will be eligible to take part in the Congress and vote in the elections which have received more than 40 nominations, from 18 countries across four continents, for the Executive positions.
In line with the processes set-out in World Boxing’s Statutes, Rules for Electoral Voting and Rules for Candidates of Elections (HERE), the candidates are currently being assessed for eligibility by an independent Vetting Panel. The Vetting Panel is made-up of three independent, external experts that do not have any involvement or knowledge of World Boxing and is supported by the leading independent provider of sport-specific arbitration and mediation services, Sport Resolutions.
Once the vetting process has been completed a final list of eligible candidates will be published in October 2023, no later than 30 days before the elections take place.
World Boxing’s members will have two or three votes depending on their compliance with the voting rules detailed in World Boxing’s statutes (HERE).
The elections will be overseen by an experienced, independent, third-party organisation. Scrutineers will be onsite to ensure the veracity of the election processes and that candidates are treated in a fair and equitable manner.
Simon Toulson, Secretary General, World Boxing, said: “Hosting its inaugural Congress and holding open, fair and transparent elections will be a significant milestone in the evolution of World Boxing and demonstrate that the organisation is delivering on its commitment to the principles of integrity, honesty and excellence.
“We have a number of excellent candidates and the support we have received from high calibre National Federations to participate in the Congress is a clear indication of the desire for change and determination to deliver a better future that exists across international boxing.
“By holding its first elections in a city which is so historically linked to the principles of democratic process, we aim to send out a strong signal about the way that World Boxing will operate and the values that it stands for as an organisation.”
The Secretary General of the German Boxing Association, Michael Mueller, added: “Hosting this inaugural Congress in Germany is a sign of our federation’s commitment to supporting the goals of World Boxing and working closely with this new international federation and all of our fellow members to ensure the future of Olympic boxing for all our athletes.”
World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.