Boxing's Olympic Return: How World Boxing Achieved "Greatest Comeback Story"

Boris was speaking to ANI at the World Boxing Cup finals, which are taking place at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. World Boxing was formed back in April 2023. The International Boxing Association (IBA) had run into trouble with the IOC and was suspended in 2019 due to issues surrounding governance and finances. While boxing competition did take place during the Paris 2024 Olympics, IBA did not have the authority to carry out the boxing events at the marquee event. A task force made by the IOC had made sure that the qualifiers for the Olympics and boxing bouts at the Olympics were carried out in a free and fair manner. The boxing events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were also handled by an ad-hoc task force formed by the IOC.

In February 2025, the World Boxing was given a provisional recognition by the IOC as an International Federation (IF) for the sport of boxing worldwide and by March, Boxing was included in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 programme by the IOC in its 144th session, with the boxing tournament at the marquee event to be sanctioned and conducted by World Boxing.

Speaking to ANI, Boris said, "It is the biggest relief and it is such a pleasure that boxing is now part of the Olympic movement again. It is one of the greatest comeback stories ever, I think, in the Olympic movement by setting up a new organisation within two and a half years' time, achieving the Olympic recognition."

"It is really the pinnacle of a boxer's career to be on that stage, the Olympic stage, for every boxer. And for me, it is so important to keep that Olympic dream alive for every boxer in every gym, also here in India. And I am really happy, and I am really proud that we achieved that in such a short time," he added.

Boris said that doing the right thing for the boxers is of utmost importance to him. He said while visiting boxing gyms in India, all he could see were hard-working boxers dreaming of representing the tricolour at the grandest stage.

"And I think it is important for now, the main task for the new president will be achieving the competition integrity that is ensured and that the hand of the best boxers is raised after each bout. That is for me the most important thing. Whether you do it by managing them properly, educate them, but also by engaging modern technology. I think that is really crucial," he concluded.

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had, in February this year, provisionally recognised World Boxing (WB) as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level.

India's scintillating run at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 roared ahead on Day two with Pawan Bartwal (55kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70 kilograms) delivering two of the tournament's biggest results: Pawan stunning World Boxing Cup Brazil gold medalist Altynbek Nursultan, and Hitesh edging past two-time Olympian, 2022 Asian Games gold medalist, and top seed Sewon Okazawa in a gripping split-decision bout.

Their victories, along with strong wins from Sumit (75kg), Naveen (90kg), and Jadumani Singh (50kg), ensured India completed a perfect medal sweep across both sessions, as per a press release from the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

- ANI