Uzbekistan has joined World Boxing, the organization announced at its second annual Congress on November 3 in Pueblo, Colorado. Uzbekistan made its mark at the 2024 Paris Olympics, taking home five gold medals in boxing.

This move marks a significant expansion for the International Federation (IF) in Asia, where it now has 13 member nations. World Boxing also approved membership applications from the National Federations of Kazakhstan, Guatemala, and Laos, bringing its total membership to 55 countries.

“This is fantastic news on the date of our second Congress,” said World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst. “Welcoming four new countries, including major powers Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, underscores the momentum shift in international boxing and supports our mission to keep the sport at the heart of the Olympic Movement.”

World Boxing held its second Congress with participation from 43 member countries, either in person or virtually. Discussions and votes included the approval of minutes from the 2023 inaugural Congress, the acceptance of 27 new full members, and amendments to the World Boxing Statutes and Competition Rules. The Congress featured a speech by President van der Vorst and reports from Secretary General Simon Toulson and Committee Chairs for Sport and Competition, Medical and Anti-Doping, and Finance and Audit.

Launched in April 2023, World Boxing initiated formal collaboration with the IOC on May 7, 2024, to ensure boxing’s place in future Olympic Games. An Olympic Commission, led by Gennadiy Golovkin, President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee, was established on September 26, 2024, to secure the sport’s inclusion in the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

The Congress followed the successful U19 World Boxing Championships in Colorado. The next global event will be the 2025 Elite World Boxing Championships, set for Liverpool, England, in September next year.