Boxing knocked out of LA Olympics 2028—until IOC finds new int’l governing body

Of the 18 medals the Philippines has won in 100 years at the Olympics, 10 came from boxing.

Boxing has inarguably been a favorite sport and universally liked by fans worldwide. It first became an Olympic mainstay at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, and by the end of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sport tallied 28 Olympic outings, except at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics when the Swedish banned the sport. In the 2012 London Olympics, the women’s category for boxing was added to the program and has been a mainstay since.

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recent decision to exclude boxing from the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles has sent shockwaves through the sporting world.

In the Philippines, boxing has long been a source of national pride and Olympic success. In our 100 years of Olympic participation, we tallied a total of 18 podium finishes across different sports: 3 gold, 5 silver and 10 bronze medals. Of those 18 medals, 10 came from boxing, 2 each for gymnastics, athletics, weightlifting and swimming.

The impact of boxing’s exclusion from the 2028 Olympics extends beyond the athletes. Boxing has historically been a source of unity for Filipinos, particularly during difficult times.

For a nation that has consistently brought home medals from the boxing ring, this move represents a significant blow not just to our athletes but for our country’s sporting legacy and ambition.

The Philippines has a long history in Olympic boxing, having secured its first medal in the sport at the 1932 Los Angeles Games, where José Villanueva won bronze. Since then, Filipino boxers have been a beacon of hope for the country at the Olympics, delivering some of the nation’s most memorable sporting moments.

Notably, boxing is the only sport where the Philippines has won a silver medal in three Olympics: Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco in 1996, Nesthy Petecio in 2021, and Carlo Paalam in 2021.

Nesthy Petecio joins only three other Filipino athletes who have won twice in the Olympics: Carlos Yulo for gymnastics, Hidilyn Diaz for weightlifting and Teofilo Yldefonso for swimming.

In total, the country has won 10 Olympic medals in boxing, making it the most successful sport for the Philippines in the history of the Games.

Looking far ahead, boxing is still in limbo as it’s not officially part of the sports lineup at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This is disheartening news for our boxers and boxing fans.

How it started

The conflict between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA), formerly known as AIBA, has been a prolonged and complex issue that has significantly affected the sport, particularly its inclusion in the Olympics.

The uncertainty in LA2028 stems from the fact that, since 2019, boxing doesn’t have a federation that the IOC recognizes. The IOC stripped the IBA of recognition for what it said was a failure to address finance and governance reforms, and the IBA has not been involved in the last two Olympic games.

The dispute between the IOC and IBA stems primarily from concerns about governance, financial mismanagement, and refereeing and judging irregularities within the IBA. Over the years, these issues have led to widespread criticism and allegations of corruption, which have undermined the credibility of the sport at the Olympic level.

The IOC has said boxing must have a suitable new governing body as early as 2025, so that the sport can be restored to the program lineup for the 2028 LA Olympics.

In response to the ongoing crisis within the IBA, a new organization, World Boxing, was established in April 2023. World Boxing was formed by a coalition of national boxing federations and aims to serve as an alternative governing body for the sport, offering a fresh start with a focus on integrity, transparency, and athlete welfare. As of press time, World boxing already has 51 memberships but is still far off from the recognition it needs from the IOC. 

Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines chairman Ricky Vargas is hopeful it can be saved through World Boxing, and that the ASBC (Asian Boxing Confederation) will also join World Boxing. The ASBC has convened a special extraordinary congress to be held on August 31, in Abu Dhabi and they will vote on the membership of World Boxing. 

Both the Philippine boxing governing bodies and the Asian Boxing Confederation understand that joining World Boxing is not just about governance but also about securing the future of their athletes. With the 2028 Olympics in mind, these organizations are working to ensure that their boxers will have the opportunity to compete and bring glory to their nations.

The impact of boxing’s exclusion from the 2028 Olympics extends beyond the athletes. Boxing has historically been a source of unity for Filipinos, particularly during difficult times. The sport has produced national heroes like Manny Pacquiao, who rose from poverty to become a global icon and a symbol of hope for millions of Filipinos. The loss of boxing in the Olympics could diminish this sense of national pride and leave a void in the country’s sporting achievements. 

Filipino Olympic medalists in boxing

Of the four medals from the Tokyo Olympics, three were in boxing—Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, and Nesthy Petecio—plus Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal.

Men’s category: Jose Villanueva, 1932 LA Olympics, bronze medal for bantamweight; Anthony Villanueva, 1964 Tokyo Olympics, silver medal for featherweight; Leopold Serantes, 1988 Seoul Olympics Seoul, bronze medal for light featherweight; Roel Velasco, 1992 Barcelona Olympics, bronze medal for light featherweight; Mansueto Velasco, 1996 Atlanta Olympics, silver medal for light featherweight; Carlo Paalam, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, silver medal for flyweight; Eumir Marcial, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, bronze medal for middleweight.

Women’s category: Nesthy Petecio, silver medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics and bronze medal at 2024 Paris Olympics for featherweight; Aira Villegas, 2024 Paris Olympics, bronze medal for flyweight.

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