Boxing to feature at 2028 Olympics in LA after IOC votes to keep sport

The move ends years of doubt over the future of the sport at the Games

Boxing has been included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics programme, after a unanimous vote from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ended years of doubt over the sport’s future at the Games.

The IOC last month granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, in a major step towards the sport’s inclusion in LA, and Thursday’s decision ensured the sport’s Olympic presence would continue.

“I thank you for the approval of having boxing back, we can look forward to a great boxing tournament,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.

The boxing competition at the Paris 2024 Games was run by the IOC, after it stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of recognition in 2023 over its failure to implement reforms on governance and finance.

The IOC had not included boxing on the initial LA 2028 programme, having urged national boxing federations to create a new global body to replace the IBA. World Boxing, currently with more than 80 national federations as members, was launched in 2023.

“This is a great day for boxers, boxing and everyone connected with our sport at every level across the world,” said World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst.

“This outcome has been achieved by a massive team effort... 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.

Imane Khelif (left) won boxing gold at Paris 2024 but was dragged into a gender row (PA Archive)

“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.”

The IOC has said only athletes whose national federations were members of World Boxing by the time of the start of the qualification events for the 2028 Olympics could take part in LA.

The IOC suspended the IBA, run by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev with close links to the Kremlin, in 2019 over governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues.

It did not involve the IBA in running the boxing events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and two years later stripped it of recognition in a rare move.