World Boxing has approved applications from the National Federations (NFs) of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala and Laos to join the sports federation, taking its membership to 55 countries. The announcement was made at World Boxing’s 2024 congress in Pueblo, Colorado, on November 3.
Uzbekistan’s Boxing Federation has joined World Boxing after officially leaving the embattled International Boxing Association (IBA) led by Russian Umar Kremlev.
The addition of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – two of the world’s leading boxing nations – is a major coup for World Boxing and significantly increases the footprint of the new international federation in Asia, where it now has 13 members.
Boris van der Vorst, President of World Boxing, said: “On the date of our second Congress, it is fantastic that World Boxing is able to welcome four new countries whom I am sure will all play an important role in our mission to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.
“Only last week we announced seven new members to take World Boxing past the milestone of 50 countries. To be able to announce four more members – including two major powers in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – so soon after this, is a sign of the growing momentum shift in international boxing.”
Uzbekistan won five gold medals at the Paris Olympics, topping the team competition.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently banned athletes from national federations affiliated with the IBA from participating in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Boxing is so far excluded from the 2028 Olympics, with the IOC stating that any Olympic boxing competition must be managed by a reliable international federation with high governance standards.
IOC President Thomas Bach emphasised 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.
“It is clear that there has been a change in impetus and that more National Federations want to join World Boxing as they recognise it is the only way to keep the Olympic dreams of their boxers alive,” said van der Vorst.