Great Britain joins breakaway boxing federation
Great Britain has joined the breakaway international boxing federation, World Boxing, in an attempt to counter a threat to the sport's Olympic future.
World Boxing was established in response to issues surrounding the Olympic sport's existing governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA), which was banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019 over governing issues and alleged corruption.
At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, boxing was organised by the IOC and the situation is the same for the 2024 games in Paris as, while World Boxing is seeking Olympic recognition, it may take up to two years for that to be achieved.
Boxing's position in the Olympics moving forward is under threat, with the sport left off the initial programme for Los Angeles in 2028 as the IBA has refused to implement the changes requested by the IOC.
In October, the IBA lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, contravening IOC guidance, which saw multiple nations boycott the Women's World Championships last month.
World Boxing aims to replace the IBA's current role in the sport, with a number of national bodies said to have indicated their interest to join the new federation and the membership process will begin in May.
