Nigeria, 26 others eligible to participate in 2023 World Boxing Congress
World Boxing continues its attempt to become the governing body of the sport, aiming to gather a larger number of Federations, taking advantage of the fact that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has not yet decided on the appeal filed by the International Boxing Association (IBA) regarding its exclusion from the Olympic movement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Currently, two more countries are waiting to be recognized as members and join the 27 that are already confirmed.
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World Boxing, a new federative body that emerged amid the conflict between the IOC and the IBA with the intention of keeping the sport in the Olympic program in Los Angeles 2028, remains determined to gather the largest number of members. It seeks to take advantage of the ongoing review by CAS of IBA’s appeal on the IOC’s decision to exclude it from the movement and, in this period of indecision, gain supporters for the cause. It is worth noting that the IOC was responsible for organizing the entire qualifying process for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
According to the Statutes of the World Boxing Federation, the following countries are eligible to participate in the 2023 World Boxing Inaugural Congress.
Argentina – Federación Argentina de Boxeo
Australia – Boxing Australia Limited
Brazil – Confederação Brasileira de Boxe
Canada – Boxing Canada
Czech Republic – Czech Boxing Association
Denmark – Danish Boxing Federation
England – England Boxing
Finland – Finnish Boxing Federation
French Polynesia – Federation du boxe de Polynesie Française
Germany – German Boxing Association
Great Britain – GB Boxing
Honduras – Federacion Hondurena de boxeo
Iceland – Iceland Boxing Federation
Jamaica – Jamaica Boxing Association
Mongolia – Mongolia Boxing Federation
Netherlands – Dutch Boxing Federation / Nederlandse Boksbond
New Zealand – Boxing New Zealand Inc
Nigeria – Nigeria Boxing Federation
Norway – Norwegian Boxing Federation
Panama – Federacíón de Boxeo Olímpico de Panamá
Philippines – Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines
Scotland – Boxing Scotland Boxing Ltd.
Suriname – Surinaamse Boksbond
Sweden – Swedish Boxing Federation
USA – USA Boxing
US Virgin Islands – US Virgin Islands Boxing
Wales – Welsh amateur Boxing Association
Note: Two National Federations are in the process of World Boxing Membership and can be added up to 6th November 2023, if the application is accepted. No other Federations are eligible.
It is obvious that we will have to wait for the decision of the CAS to know with certainty the direction in which this sport is heading and who will exercise supremacy and governance for the organization of events and their regulation.