Olympic boxing saved as IOC Session votes to bring the sport back into the 2028 Games in Los Angeles

Boxing will feature in the Olympic Games in 2028.

After the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that boxing be included in the Los Angeles schedule, the IOC Session has voted unanimously to confirm that.

The sport had been stripped away from the Games after being beset by a number of officiating scandals, corruption allegations and lack of financial transparency.

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Boxing's former governing body, the Russian-led IBA, was expelled from the Olympic movement for its failures to reform. The IOC itself ran the boxing tournaments at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics but would not do so a third time.

That left boxing on course to crash out of the Olympics once and for all, until a new body, World Boxing, was formed that sought to replace IBA and gain Olympic recognition.

The IOC only granted World Boxing recognition as boxing's new governing body last month and now, after the IOC Executive Board had decided to put the sport forward to the IOC Session for inclusion in 2028, that decision has been confirmed and boxing as an Olympic sport has been saved.

"I thank you for the approval of having boxing back. We can look forward to a great boxing tournament," IOC president Thomas Bach said.

The president of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: "This is a great day for boxers, boxing and everyone connected with our sport, at every level, across the world.

"This outcome has been achieved by a massive team effort by a huge number of people in every part of the world and would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of all of the national federations, boxers, coaches, officials and boxing leaders that have worked together to enable this to happen. I would like to personally thank each and every one of them for their support and determination to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

"We will do everything in our power to ensure that we operate to the highest standards of governance and transparency and deliver sporting integrity.

"World Boxing understands that being part of the Olympic Games is a privilege and not a right and we are determined to be a trustworthy and reliable partner that will adhere to and uphold the values of the Olympic Movement."

'Another great comeback story'

Luminaries from the sport also welcomed the outcome. The chair of World Boxing's Olympic Commission, Gennadiy Golovkin, who secured a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 before going on to win the middleweight world title in the professional ranks, said: "The IOC decision to include boxing in the Los Angeles Olympics is a long-awaited result of the focused efforts and work of World Boxing and our entire Olympic Commission.

"This means that we have managed to preserve the dream that inspires thousands of athletes around the world. As an Olympian, I understand how important this is for future generations of champions. The Olympic Games are not just two competitions, they are a symbol of hope, striving for excellence and an opportunity to show the world what you are capable of.

"Step by step, we did everything to preserve boxing with its rich history and traditions in the Olympic program, so that every young athlete would have the opportunity to one day stand on the Olympic podium under the flag of their country.

Ukrainian legend Wladimir Klitschko, who is the longest-reigning heavyweight champion in history and won gold at Atlanta 1996, said: "This is absolutely fantastic news. Winning Olympic gold was one of the biggest highlights of my career and I would hate to see that opportunity get taken away from future generations.

"The Olympic Games is so important to our sport and to have not been part of it would have been a disaster for boxing and boxers everywhere from the grassroots to the professionals.

"This is another great comeback story for boxing. It has been a long, hard battle, but the right decision has been reached in the end I would like to personally thank and congratulate everyone connected with World Boxing for the work they have done to save boxing as an Olympic sport."

Cindy Ngamba, who became the first Refugee Team member to win an Olympic medal when she took middleweight bronze at Paris 2024, added: "This is a massive step for the boxing community. The uncertainty around our sport's Olympic future has been tough, but this decision means everything to the athletes.

"As someone who had the honour of representing the Refugee Team, I know first-hand how much the Olympics represents hope and opportunity. It's not just about medals - it is about giving fighters from all backgrounds a platform to showcase their talent. I look forward to seeing boxing on the Olympic programme at LA28."