IOC Respects Box: Boxing Officially Included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
- Matthew Brown
- Mar 20
- 4 min read
03/20/2025
March 20, 2025, will be remembered as a historic day for Olympic boxing. In a unanimous vote, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially reinstated boxing into the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. This decision marks the official beginning of a new era under World Boxing, closing the book on the corruption-ridden reign of the International Boxing Association (IBA).
For the athletes, this decision means the dream of competing on the Olympic stage remains alive. For the sport itself, it signals a fresh start—one that prioritizes integrity over politics, fairness over favoritism, and the future over the failures of the past.
For decades, the IBA (formerly AIBA) governed amateur boxing at the Olympics. However, years of financial mismanagement, match-fixing scandals, and governance failures led to the IOC suspending its oversight in 2019. Investigations into the 2016 Rio Olympics exposed widespread corruption, including manipulated match outcomes.
Photos of Former Olympic Gold Medalists
In 2020, Umar Kremlev assumed the presidency of the IBA, promising reform. Instead, concerns deepened as his leadership maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and questionable governance practices continued. The 2023 IBA World Championships further tarnished the organization’s reputation, as top fighters were controversially disqualified.
Finally, in June 2023, the IOC took unprecedented action—officially expelling the IBA from the Olympic movement. It was the first time in history that an international sports federation was completely removed from the Olympic structure.
Amid the IBA’s downfall, World Boxing was established in April 2023, positioning itself as a transparent and trustworthy alternative. Today, its efforts were rewarded with the IOC’s decision to ensure boxing remains an Olympic sport.
Boris van der Vorst, President of World Boxing, celebrated the momentous occasion:
“This is a great day for boxers, boxing, and everyone connected with our sport at every level, across the world. This outcome has been achieved by a massive team effort by a huge number of people in every part of the world and would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of all of the National Federations, boxers, coaches, officials, and boxing leaders that have worked together to enable this to happen.
World Boxing is very grateful to the IOC for the faith they have placed in our organization by restoring boxing to the program for LA2028, and I can reassure them that we will do everything in our power to ensure that we operate to the highest standards of governance and transparency and deliver sporting integrity.
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.”
Photos of Former Olympic Gold Medalists
The key figure in boxing’s Olympic resurgence is former unified middleweight champion and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin. In September 2024, he was appointed Chair of the Olympic Commission for World Boxing, spearheading efforts to rebuild amateur boxing’s credibility.
Golovkin’s leadership became even more critical after the 2024 Paris Olympics when the IBA—despite its expulsion—attempted to undermine the event. Under Kremlev’s direction, the IBA launched an aggressive campaign that targeted the gender eligibility of top female fighters, Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu‑ting. The controversy, which overshadowed the competition, led to a months-long online transvestigation into the athletes.
Following today’s IOC decision, Golovkin expressed his gratitude and commitment to boxing’s Olympic future:
“The IOC decision to include boxing in the Los Angeles Olympics is a long-awaited result of the focused efforts and work of World Boxing and our entire Olympic Commission. This means that we have managed to preserve the dream that inspires thousands of athletes around the world.
Photos of Former Olympic Gold Medalists
As an Olympian, I understand how important this is for future generations of champions. The Olympic Games are not just competitions—they are a symbol of hope, striving for excellence, and an opportunity to show the world what you are capable of.
Step by step, we did everything to preserve boxing with its rich history and traditions in the Olympic program, so that every young athlete would have the opportunity to one day stand on the Olympic podium under the flag of their country.
I realize what a great responsibility lies with us, and I understand that there is still a lot of work to do. World Boxing intends to continue working on maximum transparency in matters of fair judging, the selection of athletes for the upcoming Games, and the creation of an objective evaluation system.”
With today’s vote, boxing officially remains part of the Olympic program, but the real work for World Boxing begins now. The organization must ensure fair judging, proper athlete selection, and a governance structure that aligns with Olympic ideals.
The road to Los Angeles 2028 is now clear, and for boxing, the Olympic spirit is alive once again.
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