GB Boxing has decided not to participate in the IBA men’s and women’s World Championships due to worries over the state of Olympic boxing.
The championships are regarded as the second most notable amateur boxing contests after the Olympic games.
This time around the championships will commence in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from April 30th, 2023, until May 14th, 2023, despite being clouded by controversy.
The Russian IBA lost its participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to concerns regarding its governance. It remains prohibited from managing the boxing competition in the upcoming Olympic Games.
Great Britain will boycott the IBA men's World Championships amid crisis in Olympic boxing | Boxing Newshttps://t.co/jhzBYaDIXL pic.twitter.com/NfHI4UOMYO
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Despite worries about the future of boxing’s Olympic status, the event will proceed. As such, it is a bold move by British boxing as it could damage the amateur system.
However, countries such as the United States and Ireland have also decided not to participate in the tournament. Great Britain, however, is still set to participate in the upcoming European Games in Krakow.
With that being said, this is what GB Boxing had to say: “The decision reflects ongoing concerns about the future of boxing’s place on the Olympic programme.
“And the recent decision by IBA to allows teams of boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags, which contravenes the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC’s) position on the participation of athletes from these countries.
“GB Boxing condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has solidarity with the people, boxers, coaches and officials of Ukraine.”