Boxers from Russia, Belarus to be allowed to fight as neutral athletes in World Boxing competitions

TL;DR

Boxers from Russia and Belarus can now compete as neutral athletes in World Boxing events, following a decision by the new governing body for Olympic boxing. They will not be allowed to use national symbols and must pass a vetting process to ensure no links to the war in Ukraine.

Key points

Russian and Belarusian boxers can compete as neutral athletes.
They cannot use national flags or symbols during competitions.
World Boxing was established in 2023 as an alternative to the IBA.
The IBA was banned from the Olympic movement due to governance issues.
World Boxing has gained recognition from the IOC.

Mentioned in this story

World BoxingInternational Boxing AssociationGennadiy GolovkinUkraineKazakhstan

FILE - Kazakhstan's Gennady Golovkin smiles during a boxing news conference at New York's Madison Square Garden, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Boxers from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete as neutral athletes by the new governing body recently put in charge of Olympic boxing competitions. World Boxing announced its decision Tuesday to treat Russian and Belarussian boxers as neutral athletes, emulating the approach usually taken by the International Olympic Committee since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Fighters and support personnel from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate in World Boxing events with flags, uniforms or national anthems. They also must be approved in a vetting process to ensure they have not supported the war in Ukraine or have any links to the Russian army. World Boxing was formed in 2023 as an alternative to the International Boxing Association, which received the unprecedented punishment of being permanently banned from the Olympic movement that year. The IOC had lost patience with the IBA after years of governance problems and financial misdeeds compounded by the organization's endemic ties to Russia following its election of president Umar Kremlev in 2020. The IBA largely ignored the strictures against Russian and Belarussian athletes across sport in recent years, allowing them to compete with their national flags and symbols starting in 2023. World Boxing was given provisional recognition in February 2025 by the IOC, which ran the Olympic boxing tournaments in Tokyo and Paris following the banishment of the IBA. One month later, boxing was formally confirmed as part of the program for the Los Angeles Olympics after months of uncertainty because of its precarious state of governance. World Boxing has gradually accumulated membership from almost every nation — and it even added federations from Russia and Belarus last month. Ukraine's federation joined the organization last year. Gennadiy Golovkin, the former middleweight world champion who won an Olympic silver medal for Kazakhstan in 2004, was chosen as World Boxing's president last year. \\_ AP boxing:

Q&A

Why are Russian and Belarusian boxers allowed to compete as neutral athletes?

They are allowed to compete as neutral athletes to align with the International Olympic Committee's approach following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

What restrictions are placed on Russian and Belarusian boxers in World Boxing competitions?

They cannot participate with national flags, uniforms, or anthems and must be vetted to ensure they have no ties to the Russian army or support for the war in Ukraine.

What is World Boxing and why was it formed?

World Boxing was formed in 2023 as an alternative to the International Boxing Association, which was banned from the Olympic movement due to governance issues and ties to Russia.