World Boxing is taking major steps to take over the governance of Olympic boxing

World Boxingthe association of boxing federations that aims to replace the sanctioned in the Olympic Movement DIFFERENT (International Boxing Association), has taken two decisive steps this week for its recognition: the signing an agreement with the International Control Agency (ITA) to put doping tests and the intervention of one of its representatives before the meeting of Sports of Panama held in Asunción in the presence of Thomas Bach.

These steps coincide with another more decisive step taken by the IOC: the letter sent to national Olympic committees to warn them that boxing federations that remain affiliated to the IBA will not be able to participate in the next Olympic Games. The organization, in fact, orders committees to exclude these federations from their assemblies.

The intention of the IOC and its president Bach is have a new allied federation at the beginning of 2025which replaces the IBA and paves the way for Los Angeles 2028. The IOC itself had to administer the pre-Olympic and Olympic tournaments in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 due to numerous irregularities committed by the IBA, which first led to the suspension and then upon withdrawal of recognition. But he maintains that in 2028 the game will not be repeated: either there will be another federation or there will be no boxing.

World Boxing, an organization created by dissident federations of the IBA, already has 48 full members and another ten are under review. The United States, Great Britain, Germany, Brazil, India and Australia are some of the boxing powers already associated. Spain is not among them.

The appointment two weeks ago of former Kazakh boxer Gennadiy Golovkin, two-time world middleweight champion and Olympic runner-up in 2004, as president of the new Olympic Commission created by World Boxing, follows the signing of the agreement with the ITA .

This alliance puts World Boxing from October 1 at the same level in the anti-doping policy than dozens of federations, such as FIBA, UCI, ITF or World Aquatics, which have delegated controls, management of biological passports and management of authorizations of therapeutic use to that independent agency.

Golovkin’s intervention in an Olympic forum such as the meeting of the Olympic committees of America (Panam Sports) gave an official link to his position and to World Boxing.

“Our goal is to strengthen and support Olympic boxing, ensuring it continues to inspire athletes around the world,” Golovkin said during the meeting. “Together, we can safeguard the future of our sport.”

With 15 affiliated federations, America is the most represented continent in World Boxing.

The new leader, who was elected the best boxer in the world in 2017 and is also the president of the Kazakhstan Olympic Committee, took advantage of his stay in Asunción to meet with Thomas Bach, who expressed his desire that their respective organizations could work together in the future .

The IBA, led by Russian Umar Kremlev, reacted angrily to these movements. It accused the IOC of interfering with the autonomy of national federations with unprecedented pressure and called on its affiliates to ignore the IOC’s call and remain loyal to the IBA.