Boxing to feature at 2028 LA Olympics after IOC approves sport's inclusion

After years of questioning whether boxing would remain in the Olympic Games, the sport has finally caught a break and will appear at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This decision brings hope to boxers and enthusiasts alike, ensuring the continuation of the sport on the Olympic stage. The inclusion of boxing in the Olympics signifies its enduring appeal and global significance.

Outgoing International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said on Monday that the Executive Board had approved the inclusion of boxing in the 2028 Olympic program. Although this decision still requires formal approval from the IOC General Assembly this week, it is considered a formality. This move marks a significant turning point in the status of boxing in the Olympic Games.

Due to persistent management issues, the IOC took the unusual step of organizing the boxing competitions for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics after its relationship with the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA) broke down. The IOC stated that it would not take the same approach at the Los Angeles Olympics and urged national boxing associations to find a new governing body before the 2028 Olympics.

The uncertainty surrounding boxing's presence in the Olympic Games has been a concern for Australia, as both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics have been very successful for Australian boxers. Garside won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Australia's first Olympic boxing medal since Graham Cheney in 1988. Subsequently, featherweight Charlie Senior and middleweight Caitlin Parker both won bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, marking the first time since 1960 that Australia has won multiple boxing medals at the same Olympics.

At the Paris Olympics, both Garside and Parker pleaded with the IOC to find a solution to boxing's plight. Parker said: "The Olympics has always been a very important part of my life. I've always been very fascinated by it. It makes me very sad to think that some of the kids who look up to us or are just starting out in the sport will have their dreams shattered. Especially women, we're just starting to make history in this sport."

Last month, the IOC recognized a new governing body, World Boxing, which already has more than 60% of the boxers participating in the Paris Olympics, including more than 50% of the medalists. "I am very confident that the General Assembly will approve this decision so that boxers around the world can be certain that if their national federation is recognized by World Boxing, they can participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics," Bach said.

The IOC suspended the International Boxing Association's eligibility in 2019 due to long-standing controversies over governance, finances, and competition integrity. In 2023, it took the rare step of completely expelling the International Boxing Association from the Olympic movement. Shortly thereafter, some members of the International Boxing Association broke away to form World Boxing. Since being suspended, the International Boxing Association and its Russian President Umar Kremlev have continued to feud with the IOC, especially regarding the eligibility rules for women's boxing at the Paris Olympics.

World Boxing is expected to work on reviewing and updating the women's eligibility rules, which need to be in place before the Olympic qualifiers begin, possibly next year. World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst said in a statement on Monday: "This is a very important and critical decision for Olympic boxing, which takes the sport one step closer to being restored to the Olympic program. I have no doubt that everyone associated with boxing, at all levels around the world, will accept this decision very positively, and they all understand that boxing's continued presence in the Olympic movement is critical to the future of the sport."

Boxing officials from the United States and the United Kingdom were among the founders of World Boxing in 2023. Since then, the breakaway organization has added countries with key influence in Olympic circles, including India, and China last week. The new boxing body now has more than 80 national federation members, although Russia, Spain, and many African countries have not yet joined.