-IOC gives early 2025 deadline for chance of reinstatement
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made the decision to strike boxing from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, sending shockwaves through the global sports community.
Peter Abdool, President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), in a press release yesterday to the media, has described the move as a devastating blow, particularly for young athletes and nations, especially Guyana, that view the sport as a pathway to Olympic glory.
“This incredibly distressing news means that young boxers who have worked and trained for years will no longer enjoy the opportunity to compete for Olympic glory for their countries,” Abdool said, following his return from the World Boxing Council (WBC) convention in Hamburg, Germany.
The IOC’s decision stems from longstanding governance issues with the sport’s former governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA), previously known as AIBA. Years of allegations of financial mismanagement, lack of accountability, and corruption in judging decisions, particularly during the 2016 Rio Olympics, led the IOC to suspend the IBA’s recognition in 2019. This suspension effectively left the sport without an official governing body recognized by the IOC. An interim committee managed Olympic boxing during the Tokyo 2020 Games, but with no permanent solution in place, boxing has been removed from the 2028 Olympic programme.
“AIBA’s failure to implement sufficient corrective measures to regain the IOC’s trust has led to this catastrophic outcome,” Abdool explained. “Without an International Federation recognized by the IOC, boxing cannot be part of the Olympics.” The exclusion of boxing from the Olympics has profound implications for countries like Guyana, whose only Olympic medal was earned in the sport. Abdool noted that boxing remains Guyana’s best chance for Olympic success, but the current situation jeopardizes that potential.
“Many governments, including those in the Caribbean, are unaware of the gravity of this situation,” Abdool pointed out.
“Their representatives on the IBA board have not adequately informed them of the IBA’s inability to provide a pathway for their boxers to the Olympic Games.” Similar challenges face other nations across Africa, Asia, and Europe, which underscores the global scale of the crisis.
Despite the immediate decision from the IOC, there is hope for the sport’s reinstatement as an Olympic sport. World Boxing, a newly formed international organization, has applied for IOC recognition as the new governing body for amateur boxing. The organization has garnered support from major stakeholders, including the WBC.
“The WBC’s President Mauricio Sulaiman has pledged his support to World Boxing, recognizing it as the only viable alternative to save boxing as an Olympic sport,” Abdool noted. “World Boxing is fully capable of picking up the mantle and restoring boxing to its rightful place in the Olympic Games.”
The IOC has set an early 2025 deadline for appointing a new governing body. If World Boxing is recognized in time, the sport could return to the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028.
Abdool urged governments and sports administrators to act swiftly, particularly in regions like the Caribbean, where boxing remains a vital part of Olympic aspirations.
“It is imperative that Caribbean governments, including Guyana, align themselves with World Boxing to support its bid for recognition,” Abdool said.
“This is a critical moment for the future of the sport and the dreams of thousands of young athletes.”
