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The sport has been ever present on the Olympics program since 1920, and will also be included at the 2024 Olympic in Paris, but it's now tethered in limbo for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Boxing continues to face an undetermined future regards its inclusion in future Olympics, with the International Olympic Committee maintaining the sport remains ‘on hold’.
The sport has been ever present on the Olympics program since 1920, and will also be included at the 2024 Olympic in Paris, but it's now tethered in limbo for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The core of the problem lies with the rift between the IOC and the sport's governing body, International Boxing Association (IBA).
During IOC’s recent session in Mumbai, the body’s executive committee confirmed that boxing's status for the 2028 Los Angeles Games remains "on hold".
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This development stems from the June upheaval when IBA was, in no uncertain terms, ousted from the Olympic circle a culmination of longstanding tensions, primarily with IBA's Russian president, Umar Kremlev.
The IOC's executive board expressed growing concerns over the legitimacy of IBA sanctioned tournaments extending to the overall financial health and governance of IBA.
The silver lining to the situation is the fact that the IOC has yet to recognize any other boxing governing authority, and ‘there was no discussion of this by the IOC session’ according to IOC.
Given this backdrop, the implications are clear: without a recognized governing body for Olympic boxing, decisions about the sport's inclusion in the LA28 sports programme hang in the balance.
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And while the broader world of boxing may feel the impact, it's nations like Uganda, with budding boxing talents, that might bear the brunt of this tussle.
"Boxing has a great history in the Olympics, has a great history in America as a lineage of boxing champions,” LA 2028 chairman Casey Wasserman voiced his sentiment in Mumbai.
“So we'd love to see boxing on the programme." However, he also underscored the evident challenges with the federation, leaving many to only hope for a favorable resolution.”
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"We want boxing on the programme. We have no problem with boxing or boxers -- we have a problem with the governing body," Wasserman reaffirmed.
While the love for the sport remains undiminished, structural and governance issues have cast a shadow on the Olympic dreams of countless Ugandan boxers and their counterparts worldwide.
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