International Olympic Committee members of the International Olympic Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to include boxing in the programme of the LA28 Olympics.
The decision, which was on expected lines, follows the decision of the Thomas Bach-led IOC executive board on Monday to officially recognise the Western Powers-backed World Boxing as the sport’s global governing body.
Thursday’s vote in Greece will be one of the last major decisions under the German’s presidency, and follows on from the IOC’s decision on 26 February to grant “provisional” (actually official for all practical intents and purposes) recognition to World Boxing.
With the latest IOC vote in Greece, boxing will now continue its long Olympic tradition, having been included in every edition since 1904, with the exception of Stockholm in 1912, when it was banned under Swedish law.
“We have made only one real decision, and that is to include boxing in the programme for the Los Angeles Games,” Inside The Games quotes Bach as having said during a press conference on Thursday.
The president of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said in a statement: “World Boxing is very grateful to the IOC for the faith they have placed in our organisation by restoring boxing to the programme for LA2028, and I can reassure them that we will do everything in our power to ensure that we operate to the highest standards of governance and transparency and deliver sporting integrity.”
