The national federations for boxing in Italy, South Korea, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands have become the latest four organizations to have their membership applications approved by the new amateur governing body, World Boxing. The new additions mean that World Boxing, which was set up to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement, now has 37 nation members covering all of the five continents that compete in international boxing.

 

Italy, South Korea, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands have all completed a rigorous application process to join World Boxing. They are deemed to be in good standing and, through their statutes and operating processes, able to demonstrate: A transparent and open election process for the appointment of office bearing roles; The existence and operation of WADA-recognized anti-doping policies and processes; Evidence of a structured, dispute resolution and appeals process that is either fully independent or subject to external input; Formal recognition by either their National Olympic Committee (NOC) or Ministry for Sport; and A solid national and international boxing sports program

 

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “The continued growth of World Boxing’s membership is a sign of the widespread desire for change that exists across international boxing, and I am very happy to welcome Italy, South Korea, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands into our organization to join our efforts to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. Eight boxers from Italy and two women from South Korea will be competing in the forthcoming boxing tournament at Paris 2024 and to have two countries with such strong Olympic pedigrees join our cause is a significant vote of confidence in the work of World Boxing. We are continuing to process applications from a number of other countries, and it is clear that more and more National Federations now recognize that the only path that will see our sport remain a part of the Olympic program at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond is to join World Boxing now.”

 

World Boxing, which was launched in April 2023, has the objective of keeping Boxing in the Olympic Games. In May 2024, it held the first formal meeting with the IOC which signaled the start of formal collaboration between the two organizations aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games