The participation of boxing in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is very much in doubt and therefore, continental federations have already begun to make their move. Asia has taken the first step, and Europe could be next, according to SportsIn.
One of them has been the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC), which has issued a statement on this matter. In it, they explain that the IOC has withdrawn recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the governing body of Olympic style boxing and therefore inclusion in the Olympic program is now in jeopardy, preventing IBA athletes from participating in LA2028.
For all these reasons, the ASBC board of directors met this week to discuss these issues resulting in a resolution to convene an extraordinary congress to be held on August 31 in Abu Dhabi on the occasion of the ASBC Junior and School boys & girls Boxing Championship. The extraordinary congress will vote on the membership of World Boxing. World Boxing is a non-profit international sports federation whose aim is to put the interests of boxers first and ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.
According to the Olympic charter, each sport must be governed by a recognized International Federation to be included in the Olympic Games. The IOC has withdrawn recognition from the IBA, therefore, the ASBC is considering aligning itself with World Boxing in its quest for IOC recognition.
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
In addition to the ASBC, other continental federations like Europe it is estimated that would follow in the footsteps of the Asian Boxing Confederation and will plan at minimum to become independent as first step and then examine the next movements in order to ensure that their athletes can continue to participate in the Olympic Games. But there are important questions that need to be answered:
1. On what terms will the ASBC join the WB when the ASBC alone is now bigger than the WB with almost double the membership?
2. Will there be a first stage of independence from the IBA and then a second stage for entry into the WB that will be the result of possible negotiations?
3. Will other confederations follow this initiative?
4. Is the end of the Olympic Games in Paris the starting point of the processes in international boxing?
5. Does WB have a plan and competition program that will be able to attract the members who will be “orphaned” or will something new be sought?
But one thing is certain, the current situation and the organizational structure has come to an end. And this has now been realized by everyone.
