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On Friday, August 9, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach opened up on the possibility of including boxing at the next edition of the Summer Games, which are set to take place in 2028 in Los Angeles. Speaking at a press conference during the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics, Bach stated that a decision of including boxing in LA Games will be made by 2025.
It is to be noted that boxing events at the 2024 Games are being run by IOC after it stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of recognitions last year. This move was a result of IBA’s failure to implement reforms on governance and finance. Although the future of boxing at the Olympics currently is in jeopardy, Thomas Bach when asked of its inclusion said, “During the course of next year, as soon as possible. But we cannot wait longer than the end of next year.”
Watch Thomas Bach on inclusion of boxing at LA Olympics 2028:
The IOC however has not included boxing in the Summer Games for the Los Angeles edition, it has urged national boxing federations to create a new global boxing body. Meanwhile a new organisation by the name World Boxing was constituted in 2023, it is still to get recognition from the IOC. Notably only 37 members are part of that body, which is comparatively fewer than the IBA.
