Boxing 2028 Olympics: Los Angeles Inclusion Confirmed
- Boxing will remain an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games,following a unanimous vote by the International olympic Committee (IOC).
- The IOC granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, the sport's new global governing body, last month.
- The IBA, later led by Russian officials, was stripped of its recognition in June 2023 due to a failure to implement necessary reforms.
Boxing is officially back in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics! This decisive move by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reverses earlier plans, securing the sport’s future in the Games. The IOC’s decision follows the provisional recognition of world Boxing, the new global governing body, demonstrating a commitment to resolving previous governance concerns that led to the suspension of the International Boxing Association (IBA). World Boxing, with 84 member federations, now faces the task of establishing qualifying procedures. News Directory 3 has the details. Discover what’s next for boxing as it prepares for the 2028 Olympics.
Boxing Punches Back into 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Updated May 30,2025
Boxing will remain an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games,following a unanimous vote by the International olympic Committee (IOC). The decision reverses an earlier exclusion of boxing from the initial program announcement in 2022.
The IOC granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, the sport’s new global governing body, last month. This paved the way for boxing’s inclusion, confirmed during the IOC session in Greece.The IOC had previously managed the boxing program at the past two Olympic games after suspending the International Boxing association (IBA) in 2019, citing issues related to governance, finance, refereeing, and ethics.
The IBA, later led by Russian officials, was stripped of its recognition in June 2023 due to a failure to implement necessary reforms. Disputes between the IOC and IBA arose during the Paris Olympics regarding the eligibility of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting. Although the IBA had banned them from the 2023 World Championships over gender eligibility concerns,the IOC allowed both to compete,and they afterward won gold medals.
World Boxing, established in April 2023, currently boasts 84 member federations across five continents, including Great Britain. The organization aims to ensure fair play and ethical governance in the sport of boxing.
“I thank you for the approval of having boxing back. We can look forward to a great boxing tournament,” said outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach.
“This is a great day for boxers, boxing and everyone connected with our sport at every level across the world,” said World Boxing President Boris van der vorst.”World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Games is a privilege and not a right and we are determined to be a trustworthy and reliable partner that will adhere to and uphold the values of the Olympic Movement.”
The IOC stipulated that only athletes from national federations affiliated with World Boxing at the start of the 2028 Olympics qualifying events will be eligible to participate in Los Angeles. Dates for the qualifying period are pending confirmation.
What’s next
The focus now shifts to establishing the qualifying procedures for the 2028 Olympics and ensuring that national federations align with World Boxing to allow their athletes to compete on the Olympic stage. The future of Olympic boxing looks secure, provided World Boxing maintains its commitment to reform and transparency.