Boris van der Vorst, the President of World Boxing, visited Uzbekistan’s National Olympic Committee, where he met with Minister of Sports Adkham Ikromov to discuss the future of boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The meeting focused on efforts to ensure that boxing remains part of the Olympic program, following concerns over the sport’s inclusion.
Van der Vorst expressed his gratitude for Uzbekistan’s support in this mission. "I am glad that World Boxing has received strong support from Uzbekistan, a nation that is undoubtedly a pillar in the boxing world," he wrote on his Instagram account. He further emphasized that World Boxing continues its efforts to "save boxing in the Olympic program."
During the discussion, they also acknowledged Uzbekistan’s dominant performance at the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, where the men’s boxing team is projected to secure first place in the overall team standings with five gold medals. Uzbek sports officials reiterated their strong stance on maintaining boxing’s place at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Challenges for Boxing’s Olympic Status
The conversation came at a critical time for Olympic boxing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently excluded the International Boxing Association (IBA), of which Uzbekistan is a member, from the Olympic family due to issues related to financial mismanagement, governance, and questionable officiating practices. According to the IOC, Umar Kremlev, who became IBA’s president in 2020, failed to resolve these longstanding problems.
In a statement, IOC President Thomas Bach explained the implications of this decision. "Any boxer whose national federation remains a member of the IBA will not be able to participate in the 2028 Olympic Games. The IOC will not organize boxing at the Olympics without a reliable partner organization. National federations must unite under a credible, compliant, and well-managed international federation if they want their boxers to compete for Olympic medals," said Bach, as reported by the official IOC website.
World Boxing’s Role in Safeguarding Boxing’s Olympic Future
In response to the crisis surrounding the IBA, World Boxing was formed to represent national federations that were dissatisfied with Kremlev’s leadership and committed to preserving the Olympic future of amateur boxing. The organization’s mission is to provide a stable and transparent framework that meets the standards required by the IOC for inclusion in the Olympic program.
Other countries are also joining the movement. Kazakhstan’s boxing federation has announced its intention to join World Boxing, a decision directly tied to securing the Olympic future of Kazakh boxers.
The meeting between van der Vorst and Uzbek officials highlights the crucial role World Boxing is playing in ensuring that amateur boxers from countries like Uzbekistan continue to have the opportunity to compete at the highest level in the sport.
