Boxing will officially make its return to the Olympic roster at the 2028 Los Angeles Games following a period of prolonged controversy and administrative upheaval. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, Thomas Bach, announced on Monday that the IOC executive board has endorsed the sport's inclusion in the 2028 programme, with final approval from around 100 IOC members expected later this week — a step typically regarded as procedural.
The move comes after the IOC cut ties with the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2019 due to ongoing issues related to management, financial instability, and integrity concerns. Following this, the IOC took unprecedented action in 2023, permanently removing the IBA from Olympic participation just before some of its members established a new governing body known as World Boxing.
