World Boxing clears Russian, Belarusian fighters as neutrals

World Boxing will allow boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutral athletes at its events, the organisation announced Tuesday.

Fighters from both nations must pass a vetting process to ensure they have not publicly supported the war in Ukraine or maintained ties to the Russian military, ESPN reports. Those cleared will compete without national flags, uniforms, or anthems — the same approach the International Olympic Committee adopted after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

How World Boxing differs from the banned IBA

The decision marks a contrast with the International Boxing Association, which World Boxing was created to replace in 2023. The IBA, permanently expelled from the Olympic movement that same year over governance failures and financial misconduct, continued to let Russian and Belarusian athletes compete under their national symbols starting in 2023. The organisation's ties to Russia deepened after Umar Kremlev was elected president in 2020.

World Boxing received provisional IOC recognition in February and boxing was confirmed for the Los Angeles Olympics one month later, ending months of uncertainty about the sport's Olympic future. The body has since added national federations from nearly every country, including Russia and Belarus last month. Ukraine's federation joined in 2024.

Former middleweight champion and 2004 Olympic silver medallist Gennadiy Golovkin was named World Boxing president last year. The organisation will oversee boxing at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Source: espn.com