LONDON — A group of national federations including the United States and Britain announced a new boxing world body Thursday in a breakaway move aimed at securing the sport’s Olympic future.
Leaders of the new group World Boxing said at a news conference that they would seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee.
The group includes federations that have already announced boycotts of this year’s men’s and women’s world championships organized by the Russian-led International Boxing Association.
The interim executive board will be overseen by Simon Toulson, who previously led the International Canoe Federation and worked in the IOC’s sports department and with national Olympic committees.
There are representatives from Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Sweden and the United States.
Tokyo middleweight gold medalist Lauren Price of Wales and U.S. super heavyweight silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. will serve as athlete representatives on the interim executive board.
Boxing’s place in the Olympics after next year’s Paris Games remains uncertain, with the sport not on the initial program for Los Angeles 2028 pending reforms demanded by the IOC.
The IBA was suspended by the IOC in 2019 over governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues. The body was stripped of involvement in the Tokyo Olympics and qualifiers for Paris 2024. Relations between the IOC and IBA further soured following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
Amateur boxing’s governing body defied IOC guidance and lifted a ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers competing under their flags in October.
Boxing has been a part of every Olympics since 1904, with the exception of Stockholm 1912 because the sport was banned in Sweden at the time. Women’s boxing was added to the program in 2012.
The United States tops the all-time Olympic boxing medal table with 50 golds and 117 medals, ahead of Cuba (78) and Britain (62).
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New boxing organization hopes to salvage Olympic future
