World Boxing has crossed a landmark threshold in its rapid rise as the global governing body for Olympic-style boxing, approving 17 new National Federations and expanding its membership to 106 countries. The latest additions include historic heavyweights like Cuba and Ireland, alongside emerging forces from regions as diverse as the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The news marks another milestone in what has been a meteoric ascent for World Boxing, an organization established in April 2023 with a singular mission: to preserve boxing’s place at the heart of the Olympic Movement through transparent governance, fair competition, and international unity. The body was formed in response to deep concerns about the governance of the previous international boxing federation, and within two years it has grown into a powerhouse of legitimacy and global credibility.
Among the newest members are some of the sport’s most storied nations. Cuba, synonymous with Olympic boxing glory thanks to its haul of 41 gold medals since Rome 1960, has now thrown its weight behind World Boxing. Ireland, the country with the strongest Olympic boxing tradition relative to its size, has also joined, ensuring that its athletes remain on the Olympic pathway. They are joined by a spectrum of nations such as Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Austria, Colombia, Spain, Uganda, and the UAE, each bringing a unique contribution to the sport’s expanding global community.
Their inclusion means that, with the exception of Russia and the former Soviet Union, World Boxing now counts among its members the ten most successful nations in the history of Olympic boxing, as well as ten of the top eleven medal-winning countries from the Paris 2024 Games.
Roniel Iglesias of Cuba heavyweight
World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst hailed the announcement as a validation of the organization’s vision and structure.
“To have surpassed the landmark of 100 National Federations in just over two years is a massive achievement,” van der Vorst said. “To be able to announce a name like Cuba, which is synonymous with Olympic boxing, at the same time as a country like Saudi Arabia, that has huge ambitions within the sport, is a resounding endorsement of World Boxing and clear evidence of the confidence that National Federations across the globe have in our ability to develop and grow the sport at all levels.”
Each of the new members underwent a thorough vetting process, demonstrating transparency in governance, adherence to WADA-recognized anti-doping standards, and national-level recognition from either their Olympic committees or ministries of sport.
The momentum behind World Boxing has not gone unnoticed by the Olympic authorities. In February 2025, the International Olympic Committee granted World Boxing provisional recognition as the official international federation for Olympic boxing. That status was further solidified in March when the IOC confirmed boxing’s inclusion in the LA28 Olympic Games.
The newly approved federations are now eligible to send athletes to the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, scheduled for September 4–14, 2025. Their full membership status will be confirmed at the next World Boxing Congress, set to take place in New Delhi in November.
