World Boxing
Governing body for Olympic boxing, formed after IBA expulsion.
World Boxing is an international governing body for amateur, Olympic-style boxing. It was established on April 13, 2023, and now includes 182 member federations. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recognized it as the official international federation for the sport, and it will oversee boxing at the Summer Olympics starting in 2028.
The organization was founded due to persistent problems with governance and integrity within the International Boxing Association (IBA), which led to the IBA’s suspension and eventual expulsion by the IOC. World Boxing’s initial members came from the Common Cause Alliance (CCA), a group of IBA member federations that had pushed for more transparency in the IBA’s finances and leadership during the presidency of Umar Kremlev and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The CCA also campaigned to keep boxing in the Olympic program. In February 2025, the IOC granted World Boxing provisional recognition after it met benchmarks for membership reach and integrity standards. The following month, the IOC approved boxing’s reinstatement for the Olympic program.
The IBA had been suspended by the IOC in 2019 over governance and financial issues. Under Kremlev, who became president in 2020, further concerns arose about increased Russian influence—including ties to President Vladimir Putin, a sponsorship deal with state-owned oil company Gazprom, and moving some IBA operations to Russia—as well as ongoing worries about officiating integrity. In 2022, amid the invasion of Ukraine, 18 national federations formed the Common Cause Alliance, demanding clearer financial records, an assessment of the invasion’s impact on the IBA, and stronger action against the Russian Boxing Federation. The CCA also committed to preserving boxing’s Olympic status.
At the IBA Congress in May 2022, five CCA-aligned candidates were ruled ineligible by the IBA’s Interim Nomination Unit, accused of improper campaigning. One candidate, Dutch official Boris van der Vorst, appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which overturned the IBA’s decision and called for an Extraordinary Congress in September. However, IBA members voted against van der Vorst’s challenge to Kremlev’s re-election. By December 2022, the CCA had grown to 25 federations.
Quick Facts
- Abbreviation
- WB
- Formation
- 2023-04-13<!-- or
- Founding Location
- Lausanne, Switzerland
- Headquarters
- Avenue de Rhodanie 2 – CP 975 1001, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Membership
- 185 national federations
- Leader Title
- President
- Leader Name
- Gennady Golovkin
- Main Organ
- Congress
- Subsidiaries
- Asian Boxing / Pan American Boxing Confederation / European Boxing / Oceania Boxing
- Affiliations
- International Olympic Committee · ASOIF
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
World Boxing was launched on 13 April 2023 as a competitor to the International Boxing Association (IBA), with its interim board including officials from member organizations of the Common Cause Alliance (CCA), a group of IBA members that had demanded transparency over governance and finances amid the presidency of Umar Kremlev and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Boris van der Vorst was named inaugural president. The IBA condemned World Boxing as a 'rogue organization' and threatened sanctions against national federations, athletes, and officials who participate in its events.
On 22 June 2023, the IOC Executive Board voted to permanently withdraw its recognition of the IBA. On 7 May 2024, World Boxing held its first formal meeting with the IOC, discussing the future of Olympic boxing and criteria for recognition. On 15 May 2024, an exclusive deal was made for US company Nike Boxing to supply sporting apparel and footwear. On 26 September 2024, Kazakhstani Olympic medallist Gennady Golovkin was announced to lead World Boxing's Olympic Commission.
On 26 February 2025, the IOC granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, citing progress on membership reach and commitments to competitive integrity. On 17 March 2025, the IOC Executive Board recommended reinstatement of boxing on the 2028 Summer Olympic programme, with sanctioning from World Boxing, and on 20 March 2025, the IOC's members ratified the recommendation, officially reinstating boxing as a Summer Olympic event.
Reader's Guide
World Boxing's significance lies in its role as the successor governing body for Olympic boxing after the IOC's expulsion of the IBA due to governance and integrity issues. Formed by members of the Common Cause Alliance, it successfully met IOC benchmarks for reach and integrity, leading to provisional recognition in February 2025 and the reinstatement of boxing on the Olympic programme for 2028. The organization has established continental confederations, including the Pan American Boxing Confederation and European Boxing, and has delegated anti-doping activities to the International Testing Agency and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Its leadership includes figures like Boris van der Vorst and Gennady Golovkin. However, the organization faced criticism in May 2025 for specifically naming Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in a mandatory sex verification testing announcement, leading to a personal apology from van der Vorst to the Algeria Boxing Federation. World Boxing's legacy is tied to preserving boxing's Olympic status amid ongoing disputes with the IBA and ensuring competitive integrity.
Did You Know?
- World Boxing was formed on 13 April 2023 and currently has 182 member federations.
- Its charter members were drawn from the Common Cause Alliance, a group of IBA members demanding transparency.
- Boxing was officially reinstated as a Summer Olympic event on 20 March 2025, with sanctioning from World Boxing.
More in Boxing at the Summer Olympics 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced