Boxing has been included in the sports programme of Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28). The decision was approved this Thursday during the second day of the 144th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), held in Costa Navarino, Greece.
The inclusion of boxing in LA28 was based on the proposal of the IOC Executive Board, following the recommendation of the Olympic Programme Commission and the provisional recognition of World Boxing as the International Federation responsible for governing boxing worldwide within the Olympic Movement.
Boxing was not part of the initial sports programme for LA28, approved by the IOC Session in February 2022, due to concerns at the time regarding the then-International Federation for boxing, the International Boxing Association (IBA). Following the withdrawal of the IBA’s recognition on June 22, 2023, the inclusion of boxing remained on hold.
Boris van der Vorst, President of World Boxing
The IOC made it clear that National Boxing Federations needed to reach a consensus on a new International Federation for boxing to be included in the LA28 sports programme. After evaluating criteria related to governance and sports integrity, the IOC Executive Board decided on February 26, 2025, to grant provisional recognition to World Boxing, which currently comprises 88 National Federations across five continents.
The LA28 Organising Committee closely followed the decision regarding boxing.
BOXING AND ITS OLYMPIC TRADITION
Boxing has a long tradition in the Olympic Games. It was first included in the modern Olympic Games in 1904 and has been part of every edition since, except for Stockholm 1912, where a local law banned the sport.
At the most recent Olympic Games, in Paris 2024, the boxing competition and its qualifying tournaments were organised under the authority of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit, an ad hoc task force created by the IOC Executive Board following the withdrawal of the IBA’s recognition. This decision was made to protect athlete participation and ensure a clear, fair, and transparent qualification process.
In Paris 2024, 68 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the boxing competition, and 31 of them won medals across the 13 events. Among the medallists were Cabo Verde and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, both of which earned their first-ever Olympic medals (bronze). This represented the highest percentage of participating NOCs to win medals in a single sport during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
