The Ukrainian Boxing Federation has submitted an application to join World Boxing and has begun the procedure for leaving the IBA

Boxing Federation of Ukraine made an official statement regarding the situation in world amateur boxing and the World Boxing organization.

In particular, the governing body of Ukrainian boxing states that at the beginning of September an application was submitted to join World Boxing (a new international federation that is expected to receive recognition from the IOC and retain boxing at the Olympics), and the procedure for the FBU to withdraw from the IBA has also begun (International Boxing Association), which is headed by Russian Umar Kremlev and whose recognition was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee.

“When the IOC officially sent a letter to all NOCs indicating that those federations that do not withdraw from the IBA will not be able to participate in the Olympic Games, the leadership of the FBU immediately began consultations with NOC lawyers, lawyers of the Ministry of Youth and Sports on leaving the IBA and joining a new organization, observing all legal norms, to maintain training and competitive processes in accordance with a unified calendar plan.”

“After these consultations, the management of the FBU made a decision and submitted an application to join the new organization World Boxing, and also began the procedure for leaving the IBA.”

“On September 9, 2024, FBU officially submitted an application to join World Boxing. The entire procedure was fully agreed with the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. From that moment, for two months until today, there has been active correspondence and negotiations with WB.”

“However, it seems that organizations that do not remain silent and point out real existing problems are not very willing to be seen and heard in the new organization. They come up with non-existent problems that are not supported by any facts or official documents.”

“FBU is the only organization that has an agreement with the NOC of Ukraine, an agreement with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and an agreement with the anti-doping agency WADA. There are no other organizations, associations or federations, this is confirmed by official documents and agreements.”

“All these documents, as well as letters from the NOC of Ukraine and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine confirming our status, were officially provided to World Boxing.”

“The FBU will not remain silent about existing problems in the new organization. As the only national boxing federation in our state, we work and do everything for the development of Ukrainian boxing, and FBU athletes will definitely represent our state at the 2028 Olympic Games.”

With the full text of the application you can read here.

Let us remind you that on November 1 it became known that the former head of the Boxing Federation of Ukraine Vladimir Prodivus finally lost his position as president of the FBU – the Supreme Court of Ukraine took the side of the organization. Earlier, in May 2022, Vladimir joined the IBA Board of Directors.

World Boxing continues to work to officially represent boxing within the International Olympic Committee. Previously, the organization appointed former middleweight world champion and current head of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan Gennady Golovkin as chairman of the Olympic Commission. The body is headed by a Provisional Council made up of representatives of the federations of Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sweden and the USA. In April this year, the federation held the U-19 World Championship. The world championship among adults is planned for 2025.

The decision to include boxing in the 2028 Olympics has been postponed. The IOC plans to begin the admission procedure for a new boxing federation (instead of the previously withdrawn IBA) in 2025. If the new governing body does not start work on time, boxing risks not being included in the 2028 Olympics.