Future of Olympic Boxing in Jeopardy Amid Governance Conflicts

The future of Olympic boxing is uncertain due to governance conflicts between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA). The upcoming Paris Games might be the sport’s last appearance in the Olympics for some time. Despite this, countries like Cuba continue to thrive in the sport.

The future of Olympic boxing is hanging by a thread as governance conflicts between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA) continue to escalate. This year's tournament in Paris may be the last for some time.

Just like in Tokyo, the IOC is organizing the boxing tournaments for Paris, having stripped the IBA of recognition last June. The IBA added to the tensions by deciding to award prize money to boxers, raising fears that the sport might be excluded from future Olympics and is already off the initial program for Los Angeles 2028.

The sport has been a fixture at every Games since 1904, except Stockholm 1912. Despite the uncertainty, IBA President Umar Kremlev remains optimistic about boxing's future. Cuba, which dominated the Tokyo Olympics with four gold medals, remains a strong contender with star boxers like Julio Cesar La Cruz aiming for historic third gold medals. Women's boxing has also expanded, with more weight divisions and top athletes like Ireland's Kellie Harrington and Turkey's Busenaz Surmeneli seeking glory.

(With inputs from agencies.)