Boxing: Olympics – World Boxing hopes talks with IOC over recognition to start soon

BERLIN (Reuters) – World Boxing is hoping formal talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on a potential roadmap for recognition as the sport’s official global body will start in the coming weeks, officials said on Thursday.

The IOC stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of recognition last June after saying it had failed to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues.

The IBA’s appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was dismissed earlier this month, paving the way for a new body to take over the sport’s global duties.

That was followed by the IBA’s exclusion on Tuesday from the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).

The boxing tournaments at the Paris Olympics this summer are being organised by the IOC but it has said it will not be doing so at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

It has urged national federations to decide on a successor to the IBA by next year at the latest or risk seeing boxing miss out on the LA 2028 Olympics.

“We have had no formal contact yet with the IOC,” World Boxing Secretary General Simon Toulson told an online press conference.

“We hope in the coming days, weeks, the formal relationship will start.”

CONFIRMED MEMBERS

World Boxing, which launched in April last year, currently has 28 national federations as members, covering every continent involved in Olympic-style boxing.

Toulson said currently some 25-30 national federations were in talks to join, with the process lasting several weeks.

The number of confirmed members should be around 50 by the end of the year, he said, with a sharp increase in interest since the CAS decision.

National federations must first withdraw their membership to the IBA, which has pledged to continue running competitions and supporting the sport even after its IOC snub.

World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst said with the CAS decision behind them and a growing membership for his body the time was right for talks with the IOC.

“Our objective is to keep boxing in the Olympics,” Van der Vorst said. “We are ready to start the conversations with the IOC to discuss the road map to become an official partner.

“We could not engage with the IOC before the CAS decision. Now is the right time to start. I am pretty confident we will become soon a reliable partner to the IOC.”

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)