World Boxing Welcomes Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala and Laos

World Boxing has announced the approval of applications from the national federations in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala and Laos, which increases the organization’s membership to 55 countries as it continues the push to become the International Olympic Committee’s recognized international federation for the sport.

The news came at the end of World Boxing’s second annual Congress on November 3 in Pueblo, Colorado, following the conclusion of last week’s U19 World Boxing Championships. Uzbekistan’s fighters won five of the 13 gold medals this year at the Olympic Summer Games in Paris.

“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,” said Boris van der Vorst, president of World Boxing.

The addition of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan brings the international federation’s membership in Asia to 13 countries. World Boxing’s second Congress was attended in person or virtually by representatives from 43 member countries.

“Only last week we announced seven new members to take World Boxing past the milestone of 50 countries,” van der Vorst said. “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.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and held its first formal meeting with the IOC on May 7, 2024. The IOC has set a deadline of “early 2025” to work with a new governing body replacing the Russian-led International Boxing Association, which was banished from the Olympic movement last year. The IOC recently warned boxing federations that stay loyal to the IBA, now led by Russian Umar Kremlev, they will be cut off from funding and liaison with their national Olympic committee.

“It is clear that there has been a change in impetus and that more national federations want to join World Boxing as they recognize it is the only way to keep the Olympic dreams of their boxers alive,” van der Vorst added.