Boxing Approved for LA 2028 Summer Olympics by IOC Following Disputes

Boxing won't be exiting the Summer Olympics program for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said Monday the IOC's executive board affirmed boxing's status moving forward and that he's "very confident" it will receive full approval.

"I am very confident that the session will approve it so that all the boxers of the world then have certainty that they can participate in the Olympic Games L.A. 2028 if their national federation is recognized by World Boxing," Bach told reporters.

This comes a few weeks after the IOC gave provisional recognition to World Boxing as the sport's governing body.

Leading up to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the IOC formally severed ties with the International Boxing Association, citing concerns over the IBA's management and sporting integrity.

This past summer and for the 2021 Games in Tokyo, the IOC managed the logistics and qualifying procedures for the boxing competitions. Now, those duties will fall to World Boxing.

World Boxing itself resulted from individual federations breaking away from the IBA to form an entirely new organization in April 2023.

Boxing's history at the Olympics dates back to 1904, and the 1912 Games were the last time it was excluded from the full program.

The United States owns more boxing medals (118) than any other country, but Uzbekistan has emerged as the ascendant power. Since 2016, nine gold medalists have hailed from the central Asian nation.

Uzbekistan joined World Boxing in November to ensure it could compete in 2028.