IBA letter to Donald Trump and the fight for boxing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
Víctor García
January 23, 2025

The International Boxing Association, IBA, has requested in a letter to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to intervene for boxing to be included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. This request comes at a critical moment after its exclusion from the Olympic program due to governance, ethics and arbitration problems within the IBA. In this way, the IBA intends to bypass the International Olympic Committee, IOC, and open a path that has never been done before in history.

The IOC suspended the IBA in 2019, removing it from the responsibility of organizing Olympic boxing. Since then, the IOC managed boxing at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but announced it will not continue to do so for future Games. Although the exclusion is not final, boxing is not in the initial plan for Los Angeles 2028, and the IOC hopes that a new international federation can secure its return.

BOXING REMAINS IN OLYMPIC LIMBO

World Boxing, an emerging federation aspiring to lead Olympic boxing, has managed to add 60 member countries in its effort to gain IOC recognition. However, the largely Russian-led IBA insists on regaining its position and has stepped up its political pressure, appealing directly to Trump to assess the situation.

Yu Ting Lin and Julia Szeremeta at Paris 2024. (Shutterstock)

In an open letter to the U.S. president, the IBA stated, “It would be greatly appreciated if your team would look into this situation. It is our sincere hope that boxing will be part of the celebrations at Los Angeles 2028 and become a show of genuine love for the sport in the American nation and among fans around the world.”

THE PARIS 2024 GENDER CASE

The IBA’s request to Trump also includes an endorsement of his stance on the “participation of ineligible athletes,” an issue that generated controversy at the Paris 2024 Olympics. During the event, boxers Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won gold medals, despite having been previously disqualified by the IBA in 2023. The federation claimed that both did not meet the eligibility criteria for women’s competitions.

[The full letter is available here]

DONALD TRUMP, AN OLD BOXING ACQUAINTANCE

Trump, who had brief experience as a boxing promoter in the 1990s, will be in office when LA28 takes place. His background and interest in the sport could be key factors in influencing the final decision on boxing’s return to the Olympic program.

The battle for the future of Olympic boxing continues, with key players fighting for inclusion and a sport seeking to remain a mainstay of the Olympic Games, a tradition that has endured since 1904.

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