Gennady Golovkin Fights to Keep Boxing in the Olympics

Former middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin seeks to persuade Kazakhstan's boxing federation to join World Boxing. Golovkin, now President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee, emphasizes the critical nature of maintaining boxing's Olympic status. The IOC has dethroned IBF, urging federations to find a new path to keep the sport in LA 2028 Olympics.

Former middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin aims to use his persuasive skills, instead of his renowned boxing prowess, to convince Kazakhstan's boxing federation that joining World Boxing is crucial to maintaining the sport's Olympic presence.

As the newly appointed president of Kazakhstan's National Olympic Committee, Golovkin faces an unprecedented challenge as boxing's Olympic future hangs by a thread. Speaking to Reuters, Golovkin stressed the urgency of persuading the nation's boxing body to back the U.S.-supported World Boxing, which emerged as an alternative to the International Boxing Association led by Russian Umar Kremlev.

The IOC stripped the IBF of its recognition last year due to unaddressed issues in governance, finance, and ethics. Although the IOC will organize boxing at the Paris Olympics this summer, it refused to commit to doing so for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. National federations have been instructed to choose a successor to the IBA by next year or risk boxing's exclusion from LA 2028.

Golovkin, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, has devoted himself to preserving boxing's Olympic status. Despite his high profile, Golovkin acknowledged the limitations of his influence and highlighted that it is ultimately up to Kazakhstan's boxing federation to make its decision. However, he reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for World Boxing.

Recent legal disputes further complicate boxing's Olympic future, with the IBF making last-ditch efforts to overturn the IOC's decision. Golovkin expressed concern that ongoing court battles only detract from the athletes' interests, reiterating his position that aligning with the IOC's prescribed steps is the best way forward to secure boxing's place at the Olympics.

(With inputs from agencies.)