World Boxing has approved applications from the National Federations (NFs) for boxing in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala and Laos to take its membership to 55 countries.
The news came at the end of World Boxing’s second annual Congress (3 November 2024) which was held in Pueblo, Colorado, following the conclusion of last week’s successful U19 World Boxing Championships.
The addition of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which are two of the world’s leading boxing nations, is a major coup for World Boxing and significantly increases the footprint of the new International Federation (IF) in Asia where it now has 13 members.
Uzbekistan has been one of the leading boxing nations at the last two Olympic Games and topped the medal table in Paris with five golds. Kazakhstan is widely regarded as a powerhouse in the sport.
The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “On the date of our second Congress, it is fantastic that World Boxing is able to welcome four new countries whom I am sure will all play an important role in our mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.
“Only last week we announced seven new members to take World Boxing past the milestone of 50 countries. To be able to announce four more members – including two major powers in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – so soon after this, is a sign of the growing momentum shift in international boxing.
“It is clear that there has been a change in impetus and that more National Federations want to join World Boxing as they recognise it is the only way to keep the Olympic dreams of their boxers alive.”
The announcement of four new members was the main news from World Boxing’s second Congress, which was attended in person or virtually by representatives from 43 member countries.
No elections were scheduled however members held discussions and votes on a series of measures which included:
- The approval of minutes from World Boxing’s Inaugural Congress in 2023
- The approval of 27 new full members since last year’s Congress
- Discussion and approval of amendments to the World Boxing Statutes
- Discussion and approval of updated Competition Rules
The Congress also included a speech by the President, Boris van der Vorst, and reports from the Secretary General, Simon Toulson, and the Chairs of the Committees for Sport and Competition; Medical and Anti-doping; and Finance and Audit.
World Boxing was launched in April 2023. On 7 May 2024, it held its first formal meeting with the IOC which signalled the start of formal collaboration aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.
On 26 September 2024, World Boxing announced that it had set-up an Olympic Commission, chaired by the President of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, Gennadiy Golovkin, to support the process of developing a pathway to make sure that boxing is restored to the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028.
The U19 World Boxing Championships in Colorado was World Boxing’s first global championships. Its next one will be the 2025 Elite World Boxing Championships for men and women which will be held in Liverpool, England, in September 2025.
