Uzbekistan joins World Boxing, leaving IBA amid Olympic participation concerns

Alongside Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala, and Laos also submitted membership applications, bringing the total number of member nations within World Boxing to 55. The announcement was made at World Boxing’s annual congress in Pueblo, Colorado, on November 3.

World Boxing highlighted the importance of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, two leading boxing nations, joining its ranks, noting that their membership significantly strengthens the federation’s presence in Asia, where it already counts 13 member countries. World Boxing’s statement also recognized Uzbekistan’s recent success in boxing, with the country claiming five gold medals at the Paris Olympics, achieving the top ranking in the team competition.

The Uzbekistan Boxing Federation has yet to confirm this news officially.

The decision comes in the wake of a recent ruling by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which banned athletes from national federations affiliated with the IBA from participating in the 2028 Summer Olympics. The IOC excluded boxing from the 2028 Olympics, stating that any Olympic boxing competition must be managed by a reliable international federation with high governance standards. IOC President Thomas Bach emphasized that without such a federation, boxing would remain absent from future Olympics, and urged national federations to align with a trustworthy body if they wish for their athletes to compete for Olympic medals.

In response to the IOC’s ruling, Uzbekistan’s Boxing Federation, along with several other prominent boxing nations, ultimately chose to join World Boxing to ensure their boxers remain eligible for future Olympic Games.