Boxing legend Gennady Golovkin takes on the role of World Boxing and joins the fight to save the Olympic sport.
Is boxing still an Olympic sport?
Currently, this is not the case. The sport will not be included in the program for the next Games, to be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Scandal-hit international boxing federation IBA has been stripped of its recognition and expelled from the Olympic Movement, with an International Olympic Committee (IOC) special committee in charge of boxing tournaments in Tokyo 2021 and Paris this year I decided to do it.
But the IOC will never do that again. Boxing needs the IOC to appoint a new international federation and make a decision to allow boxing to participate in LA2028 in 2028.
What is Golovkin’s involvement?
World Boxing is a new organization hoping to save the Olympic sport with recognition from the IOC.
They appointed Gennady Golovkin, the legendary former middleweight champion and current president of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, as the new Olympic committee chairman.
His role there will be to manage the relationship between World Boxing and the IOC and oversee the path to ensuring boxing returns to the sports program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Can Golovkin save Olympic boxing?
Golovkin, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, is a major figure in the sport with obvious influence and influence. Having his support is a huge step forward for World Boxing.
However, as an organization, World Boxing must meet the standards of the IOC’s international federation.
Part of this involves organizing enough national federations from a sufficient geographic area to meet the IOC’s requirements.
World Boxing, which was launched in April 2023, currently has 44 member national federations and held its first official meeting with the IOC in May 2024.
Mr. Golovkin could play a key role in bringing more national federations into membership, already increasing the prestige of the new organization.
what did they say?
Gennady Golovkin said: “It is important for me personally and for all of the sporting community to maintain boxing as an Olympic sport and this will be my top priority. We intend to work closely with our values of honesty, fairness and transparency.
“I am confident that my experience as a professional athlete will help build a systematic approach within World Boxing and that through joint efforts we can give new impetus to the development of boxing, but there is still a need to do so.” There is much more to come.”
World Boxing Chairman Boris van der Vorst said: “Gennady is one of the most globally important boxers of the past decade and we are thrilled that he will support our cause and leverage his experience, expertise and profile on behalf of World Boxing. is a huge boost to our organization.
“As someone with a highly successful career in both Olympic-style boxing and professional boxing, Gennady has a deep knowledge of the sport and will continue to be a part of the Olympic movement for the continued success of boxing at all levels. We completely understand why that is so important, from the grassroots to the professional ranks.
“Mr. Gennady will be a great asset to our organization and we look forward to working closely with him to carry out our mission to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. ”
Retaining Olympic boxing is Golovkin’s ‘top priority’ (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
What does this crisis mean for professional boxing?
Canceling the Olympic Games would not only be a disaster for amateur boxing, it would damage the sport at all levels and harm professional sport as well.
“There’s no question about it. On many different levels. Number one is profile,” promoter Eddie Hearn previously said. sky sports.
“If there were no Olympics, if there was nothing to aim for, I think it would encourage kids to play sports. For me, it’s very important that the sport gets attention at the Olympics. It’s a huge blow to boxing. I think it will be “to watch boxing from the Olympics.”
“The IOC is willing to fight.”
Two-division world champion Carl Frampton also said, “The ripple effect will be huge for professional boxing as well. What will happen to the funding for amateurs?”
”[The boxers coming through] It won’t be that good, definitely not. ”
