Boxing Set to Return to the 2028 Olympics After IOC Recommendation
Boxing is on track to return to the Olympic Games for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, after a recommendation from the International Olympic Committee's executive board. The sport had been excluded from the initial 2022 programme due to controversies surrounding its previous governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA).
After the IBA was expelled from the Olympic movement for its financial and governance issues, the IOC took over boxing tournaments at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games. With the formation of World Boxing in 2023, the IOC granted it provisional recognition last month, paving the way for boxing's reinstatement in the upcoming Olympic Games.
The IOC's decision, which still requires full approval at this week’s session in Greece, signals a positive turn for boxing. IOC President Thomas Bach expressed confidence in the approval, stating, "After the provisional recognition of World Boxing in February we were in a position to take this decision... I am very confident that the session will approve it so that all the boxers of the world then have certainty they can participate in the Olympic Games LA 2028." World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst also praised the decision, emphasizing the importance of boxing’s continued inclusion in the Olympic movement.
Boxing’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics would bring certainty to athletes and their national federations, as only those recognized by World Boxing will be eligible to compete. Despite challenges and disputes with the IBA, including a controversial gender eligibility issue at the 2024 Paris Games, the IOC remains committed to restoring the sport to the Olympic stage.
