Lausanne, Switzerland, September 8, 2022: A new boxing qualification system for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 was approved by the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today after a full update on the situation of boxing, including governance issues within the International Boxing Association (IBA).
After deciding last June that the boxing qualifying events and competitions for Paris 2024 would not be run under the authority of the IBA, the IOC EB was presented with an additional qualification model, which was approved during its meeting in Lausanne.
Designed by the IOC in close collaboration with boxing experts, the new qualification system is based on direct qualification through selected competitions, including the use of National Olympic Committee (NOC) regional multisport events as Olympic boxing qualification tournaments.
The responsibility for the boxing competitions in the following events will therefore not lie with the IBA, and alternative arrangements will be put in place with the respective event organisers:
Pan-American Games – Santiago 2023
European Games – Krakow 2023
Pacific Games – Honiara 2023
Asian Games – Hangzhou 2022 (taking place from September 23-October 8, 2023)
ANOCA (Africa) multisport event to be confirmed
Following the continental phase of the quota place allocation, two world qualification tournaments are planned to be held in 2024.
The new Olympic qualification process puts boxers first, lowering the complexity of the qualification process by using existing regional events and giving up to three qualification opportunities, ultimately achieving a fair and equal pathway for all boxers.
The various IOC concerns around the governance of the IBA, including the refereeing and judging process and the IBA’s financial dependency on the state-owned company Gazprom, are still ongoing.
Boxing is currently not included in the sports programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 and, considering the absence of any real evolution, the IOC Executive Board is not in a position to reverse its decision. This letter will be shared with the NOCs and national boxing federations.