MOSCOW, April 29. /TASS/. World Boxing has outlined the required criteria for the neutral status participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus at international tournaments under the organization’s auspices, the press office of the world governing body of boxing sports said in a statement on Wednesday.
"World Boxing has confirmed the details of its new AIN procedure - … Individual Neutral Athletes - which will be used to determine the basis on which athletes, coaches, support staff and officials from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to participate in international competitions organized by World Boxing, its Continental Confederation for Europe, European Boxing, or international competitions organized by World Boxing member National Federations," the statement reads.
"It means that delegations from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate with national flags, uniforms or anthems and will have to pass a detailed vetting process to be able to take part in World Boxing events," the statement continued.
"The AIN procedure was approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing at its most recent meeting in April 2026 and reflects the approach taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)," according to the statement. "It has been developed following the decision by the Executive Board of World Boxing, at its previous meeting in March 2026, to endorse membership applications from the Belarussian Boxing Federation and the Russian Boxing Federation that will allow their boxers to compete in World Boxing events."
Among the neutral-status requirements the statement listed in particular:
- There will be no use of the country or National Federation flag during the competition
- If a boxer from an AIN country wins a gold medal, the national anthem will not be played
- If a boxer from an AIN country wins a medal, the AIN logo will be used on a flag in the medal ceremony
- Boxers will appear with AIN on their vests and not RUS or BLR
- The logo of the National Federation or the country will not be permitted to appear anywhere on a boxer’s uniform
On March 19, the Executive Board of World Boxing approved the Russian Boxing Federation's application to join the organization.
In late February 2025, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally recognized World Boxing as the official global governing body for the sport of boxing. Later, the IOC announced that it would include the sport of boxing as an official event at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games under the supervision of World Boxing international federation. The 2028 Summer Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, California.
IOC-IBA spat
In 2019, the IOC announced a decision to temporarily revoke the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) recognition status with the organization citing the financial and management crisis within the IBA as the reason. The IOC demanded the international boxing federation make reforms and suspended it from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In June 2023, the IOC ruled at its session to strip the IBA of its Olympic membership stating that the boxing federation "failed to fulfil the conditions set by the IOC in its decision communicated to the IBA on 9 December 2021 - which was not challenged by the IBA - for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition."
Russia’s Umar Kremlev took the reins of the IBA in late 2020. The international boxing federation took a stance against the IOC's recommendations to strip athletes representing Russia and Belarus of their national identity. Boxers from both countries compete in IBA-sponsored events without any international restrictions.
The boxing federations of the United States, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and the Philippines canceled their membership in protest and formed a new international organization, World Boxing.
In mid-October 2023, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach ruled out any chance of the International Boxing Association (IBA) being reinstated to the Olympic movement.
In May 2024, the IOC declared that boxers representing national federations that are members of the International Boxing Association (IBA) would be banned from the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in the United States.