Popular sport has been removed from next Olympics for the first time in over 100 years
It’s possible the decision can be overturned in 2025
The Paris Olympics have officially come to a close and as all eyes turn to Los Angeles for the upcoming 2028 games, fans are already disappointed by a specific sport’s exclusion.
The 2024 Olympics were arguably a wild ride from start to end, from the now-infamous debut of the breakdancing category to what seemed like endless controversy in the gymnastics and boxing arena.
While all gears are now in full swing to prepare for the 2028 LA games in California, it seems that some nuts and bolts are already halting along the way as the International Olympics Committee (IOC) has announced that a fan-favorite sport won’t be making the cut for that year.
For the first time in over a century, there will not be any boxing categories at the 2028 Olympics.
We know, it’s wild.
The decision comes after a slew of issues, pertaining to finance and governance, between the IOC and the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA as global governing body in 2023, and for the 2024 Olympic games, the IOC stripped the IBA from running the boxing tournament and took issue with their decision to award winners with prize money.
There is a chance that boxing won’t be included in 2028 Olympics. (Markus Gilliar – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
In a statement released in May, the IOC wrote “The IOC has taken note of the decision by the International Boxing Association (IBA) with regard to prize money. As always with the IBA, it is unclear where the money is coming from.
“This total lack of financial transparency was exactly one of the reasons why the IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA,” they added. “The IBA was not prepared to transparently explain the sources of its financing or to explain its full financial dependency, at the time, on a single state-owned company, Gazprom.”
The IOC went on to explain that it was these exact issues that omitted the IBA from being involved with the ‘qualification for or the organization of’ the boxing tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Paris 2024 games.
Boxing is notably a crowd and fan-favorite sport. (RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images)
“For all these reasons, boxing is currently not on the sports programme of the Olympic Games LA28,” the IOC added.
In order for boxing to make a comeback, the IOC clarified that “Olympic boxing needs to be organized by a credible, well-governed International Federation.
“It is therefore already clear that any boxer whose National Federation adheres to the IBA will not be able to participate in the Olympic Games LA28. The respective NOC will have to exclude such a National Boxing Federation from its membership.”
A final decision will be made in 2025. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
However, a final decision will be taken in 2025, meaning that boxing can still be included if organizing parties involved amend their issues with the IOC.
Boxing has been featured in almost every summer Olympics since its debut in 1904. The last time the sport wasn’t featured was in 1912 due to Swedish laws at the time that banned it.
