World Boxing expects membership boost after Paris

PARIS : World Boxing expects more countries to switch allegiance and sign up after a Paris Olympic tournament overshadowed by a power struggle for control of the sport and a gender row in the women's ring.

The Swiss-registered body, created in April last year, has so far attracted 37 members from five continents compared to around 200 claimed by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the IBA of recognition last year over its failure to implement reforms on governance and finance, and boxing has yet to be confirmed on the 2028 programme.

A shambolic IBA press conference on Monday featured the remote participation of its Russian leader Umar Kremlev making personal attacks against IOC president Thomas Bach.

"The best recruiting sergeant for a new federation was that press conference yesterday," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said. "It will give you an idea why we are in desperate need for a federation to take it forward.

"We hope that those national federations, I think some are already coming together, more after yesterday, and let's hope they can bring it to Los Angeles."

World Boxing said the IOC had made its position clear.

"If they (national federations) want their boxers to have the opportunity to compete at an Olympic Games in the future they need to take immediate steps to join World Boxing," it said.

"This is the only path that will see boxing remain as part of the Olympic Games after Paris 2024 and National federations need to act now and begin the process of applying for membership of World Boxing."

While IBA have been shut out, World Boxing's president Boris van der Vorst is attending the Paris Games with talks going on behind the scenes.

World Boxing already has close