The International Boxing Association (IBA) is set to trial a new World Boxing Tour with the aim of developing existing tournaments, though it has not yet announced the details.
A trial of the new competition system is scheduled to take place at the 66th Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary in February.
The tour will bring together several current events to generate more interest in boxing, giving athletes more opportunities, and increasing the sport’s media coverage.
The new format is also expected to provide a larger platform for sponsors, including Russian energy company Gazprom, with whom IBA has signed a controversial sponsorship agreement.
“The new World Boxing Tour competition system was developed with the goal of bringing greater opportunities to our athletes, as well as event organisers all over the world,” said IBA President Umar Kremlev.
IBA is currently still developing the World Boxing Tour concept, and said it would announce further developments to ranking systems and upcoming events in conjunction with national federations, host cities and athletes.
“We will not be directing our resources just to create new competitions where they are not needed,” said István Kovács, IBA Secretary-General.
“The Bocskai Memorial Tournament is exactly the kind of event IBA must strive to preserve and develop.”
The Bocskai Memorial Tournament is one of the oldest elite boxing tournaments in Europe, with the first edition taking place in 1956.
The tournament is expected to see boxers from 20 countries compete across the 12 women’s and 13 men’s weight categories.
