The Men's World Boxing Championships, which will take place in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, from May 1 to May 14.
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The Men’s World Boxing Championships, which will take place in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, from May 1 to May 14, have attracted more than 640 competitors from 104 nations. Due to the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) leadership under Russian President Umar Kremlev and the decision to permit Russian and Belarusian fighters to compete under their own flags, this event has been the subject of controversy. Eleven nations boycotted the women’s event that took place in New Delhi, the capital of India, last month. However, Kremlev is encouraged by the registration figures for the men’s event. He stated, “It’s a positive signal and a testimony of the rapid development of our sport worldwide that so many nations are sending their boxers to Uzbekistan.”
There will be seven reigning champions competing in the 13 weight divisions, including Yoenlis Hernández and Julio César La Cruz from Cuba, Tomoya Tsuboi and Sewon Okazawa from Japan, Loren Alfonso from Azerbaijan, Saken Bibossinov from Kazakhstan, and Sofiane Oumiha from France. As part of a prize pool of $2.5 million, which has been increased this year, the gold medalists will earn $200,000, the silver medalists will receive $100,000, and the bronze medalists will receive $50,000.
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However, a number of nations, including the United States of America, Ireland, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand, have already declared their intention to abstain from the Men’s World Championships. Earlier this week, Britain made the same announcement that it would abstain from the event as it had with the Women’s World Championships. In response, the IBA has promised to provide athletes from countries that are boycotting with financial help so they can compete in the World Championships.
Steve Hartley, the President of Boxing New Zealand, revealed before the Women’s World Championships that a competition would be held in The Netherlands later this year as an alternative to the Men’s World Championships. New Zealand is a member of the loosely-formed Common Cause Alliance (CCA), which prioritizes boxing’s presence at the Olympic Games, particularly since the sport’s absence from the initial program for Los Angeles 2028.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) has been suspended since 2019 and was stripped of the ability to organize the Olympic boxing event for the second time in a row in Paris in 2024. After Kremlev’s contentious reelection as IBA president last year at the expense of Dutch Boxing Federation President Boris van der Vorst, the IOC has voiced concerns about IBA governance.
The IOC is worried about the future of the sport at the Olympics in light of the IBA’s threats to utilize its judges and referees for the Olympics and the qualifiers for Paris 2024. The Men’s World Boxing Championships have received a mixed response because of the IBA’s controversy, and countries have differing views on participation. While some people consider the occasion as a chance to demonstrate their talents, others see it as an occasion for the controversial governing body.
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