Boxing will be part of Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, but why was it removed in the first place?

Boxing has been included on every Summer Olympic Games since their introduction in 1904, with the only exception being Stockholm 1912. However, they were temporarily removed for the Los Angeles 2028 calendar when the programme was announced in 2022, due to conflict between boxing's governing bodies. Thankfully, that has been solved, and during the 144th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session this week, the IOC has recognised World Boxing as the International Federation in charge for the boxing events at the summer Olympics, replacing the historic IBA.

The role of organising Olympic boxing should, as it happens with other sports, fall upon International Boxing Association (IBA), the organisation founded on 1946 that has five continental confederations and organises the World Boxing Championships. However, the reputation of this Russian-led organisation has been hit well before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with recent presidencies impacted by allegations of corruption, leading to the IOC suspending their association with them in 2019, opting instead to organise their own boxing event for the 2021 and 2024 Olympic Games.

That is why there was such a huge controversy with boxers Imane Khelif for Algeria and Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan, who were banned from the IBA-organised 2023 World Championships due to failing the gender eligibility tests, but accepted by the IOC for Paris 2024, with both boxers winning gold medals in their weight categories.

Suspicions surrounding IBA's fundings and links to the Russian government increased the distrust on IBA, with countries boycotting their events, and IOC officially revoking the recognition of IBA in June 2023, the first international federation to be expelled from the Olympics, favouring instead World Boxing, which was founded in April 2023. Countries whose national federations aren't part of World Boxing (it currently has 84 members, compared to IBA's 198) have time to join before the qualification events start for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.