Marking a new chapter in Indian boxing, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on Friday officially became a member of World Boxing, a breakaway governing body that seeks to be the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) preferred partner to run boxing tournaments at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

The World Boxing is seeking to supersede the International Boxing Association, which was expelled from the Olympic movement last year after a long-running dispute with the IOC over several issues, including IBA finances, ties with Russia and concerns about unfair judging.

As such, the BFI’s move comes months after the IOC reiterated its threat to leave boxing out of the 2028 LA Games if national federations continued to align themselves with the IBA. The membership application was approved by the BFI’s General Assembly, and awaits ratification by World Boxing’s executive board.

BFI president Ajay Singh recently met with World Boxing’s president and secretary general to discuss ways in which India can support the international federation in growing its membership base in Asia, where the BFI is one of the largest national federations. As part of its commitment to the future development of World Boxing, the BFI aims to play a leading role in establishing an Asian confederation and drive the recruitment of other national federations in the region.

It also intends to actively participate in the work of World Boxing committees and all commissions as well as bidding to host World Boxing competitions and supporting World Boxing’s efforts to secure commercial partnerships and generate new income streams.

Emphasising on the paramount importance of Olympic participation for the sports’ sustainability, Singh exuded confidence in World Boxing’s abilities to secure a brighter future for boxers globally.

“It is absolutely vital to the sustainability of boxing that it retains its Olympics status, so we are delighted to join World Boxing and look forward to working closely with the executive board and our fellow members to shape the future development of the sport and deliver a brighter future for boxers across the world,” Singh said.

“The BFI shares the same values and goals as World Boxing and are keen to play a leading role in its development. We also wish to be at the forefront of the formation and hosting of a new Asian confederation to ensure boxing continues to expand and grow its membership on the continent,” he added.

Welcoming the BFI into its fold, World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst stated, “India is a very important country in international boxing and we look forward to welcoming the BFI into the growing World Boxing family. This is a very exciting development which will significantly increase our presence in Asia and I look forward to working closely with the BFI in delivering our common goals.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 with an aim to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.

Meanwhile, the IOC will oversee the boxing events at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, marking the second successive Games without IBA involvement. As such, it was the need of the hour for the national federations to come under one umbrella with a transparent governing body safeguarding the sport’s future.