After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a significant decision regarding the future of one of the most popular sports in the world, the decision brings the sport “one step closer” to being reinstated to the Olympic program.
The next Olympic Games will feature a total of six new sports, while two of the sports that were featured at the 2024 Paris Games will be eliminated from the competition.
Breaking, which is also known as breakdancing, will not be included in the Olympic Games that will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. Boxing, which has been a sport that has been featured in almost every summer Olympics to this point, will appear alongside breaking.
In contrast, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated in the past that boxing has no chance of being included in the Olympic Games in 2028 unless it fixes its behaviour.
It follows the International Olympic Committee’s decision to remove the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the responsibility of organising the competition at the 2024 Olympic Games due to concerns regarding funding and governance. The IBA, which is heavily supported by Russia, did not take any action to address these concerns.
Concerning the gender eligibility of two female boxers who were competing in the women’s competition at the Paris Games, the two individuals came to blows with each other.
After World Boxing was granted provisional recognition as the sport’s international governing federation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week, things appeared to take a positive turn. The final decision will be made in 2025.
For the purpose of recommending World Boxing for IOC Provisional Recognition, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) conducted an evaluation and came to the conclusion that World Boxing has continued to make progress in the areas that were identified as needing consideration.
The president of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, is optimistic that the sport of boxing will be present at the Olympic Games in 2028.
“Keeping its place at the Olympic Games is absolutely critical to the future of our sport at every level, from the grassroots to the highest echelons of professional boxing, and this decision by the IOC takes us one step closer to our objective of seeing boxing restored to the Olympic programme,” according to the president.
“[It] is an important milestone, however, everyone connected with World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic movement is a privilege and a responsibility and not a right.”
Van der Vors added the following: “There is still a lot of work to do, and everyone is as committed as ever to continuing to work together and doing everything within our power to deliver a better future for our sport and ensuring that boxing remains at heart of the Olympic movement.”
In 2028, flag football, a variant of American football in which players wear flags attached to their belts, will be one of the six sports that will launch for the first time. The sport of squash, along with baseball, softball, lacrosse, and cricket, will also compete for the first time after years of campaigning.
