IOC puts boxing inclusion in LA28 on hold

The status of boxing to be included into the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 was put on hold while the recommendation of other sports was forwarded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) to the IOC Session, the IOC announced here on Friday.

Baseball/softball, squash, cricket, lacrosse and flag football proposed by the LA28 Organizing Committee were recommended to the 141st IOC Session, which will start here on Saturday.

"Following the IOC Session's decision to withdraw the recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the IOC has not recognized another governing body for Olympic boxing. Therefore, any decision regarding the inclusion of boxing on the LA28 sports program is put on hold," IOC announced.

"We have no problem with boxing. We have no problem with boxers. But we have big problems with the boxing governing body," IOC president Thomas Bach said at the news conference on Friday.

Boxing was not part of the initial sports program of Olympic Games LA 28 along with modern pentathlon and weightlifting, but IOC set the criteria for the relevant International Federations (IFs) to be included in the future.

IOC acknowledged the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing conducted by the International Modern Pentathlon Union and recommended the inclusion of modern pentathlon to the LA28 sports program.

For weightlifting, the IOC EB also made the recommendation following the decision by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to delegate its anti-doping management to the International Testing Agency (ITA) and its sanctioning to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) at least until the end of 2028.

The LA28 Organizing Committee proposed five additional sports into the program of LA28 only four days ago on October 9, but these sports are very likely to be approved at the IOC Session. Cricket T20 and lacrosse sixes, which have fewer athletes and shorter match length, are on the list.

"The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique," Bach said.