Governing Bodies
International Boxing Association (IBA)
Also Known As International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA)
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
The International Boxing Association (IBA) is the body historically governing Olympic and amateur boxing, founded in November 1946 as the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA) after a wartime credibility crisis among the sport's leading officials. It officially adopted the abbreviated name IBA in December 2021, marking its 75th anniversary. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. Professional boxing itself has no single global sanctioning body. The International Olympic Committee suspended IBA in June 2019 over governance and financial issues and, on 22 June 2023, voted to withdraw its recognition entirely, citing insufficient progress on governance, finances and corruption concerns, the first time an international federation has been expelled from the Olympic movement. The IOC ran boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympics directly through its own Boxing Unit and, in February 2025, granted provisional recognition to a new rival body, World Boxing, ahead of the 2028 Games. IBA disputes the IOC's decision and continues to describe itself as boxing's governing body, and has pursued legal challenges including an appeal to Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court.
Facts
Body TypeInternational federation 1 Headquarters FoundersFounded in November 1946 as the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA), reconstituting the sport's governance after a wartime credibility crisis among leading officials. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Governs
Boxing, Sports Why this is disputed. IBA governed Olympic and amateur boxing as AIBA/IBA from 1946, but the IOC suspended IBA in 2019 and voted on 22 June 2023 to withdraw its recognition entirely over governance, finance and corruption concerns, the first expulsion of an international federation from the Olympic movement; the IOC ran boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympics directly and in February 2025 granted only provisional recognition to a rival body, World Boxing, for the 2028 Olympics. IBA disputes the IOC's action and continues to describe itself as the sport's rightful governing body, so whether IBA still governs boxing today is genuinely contested rather than settled; see the recorded dissent and open question on this edge.
Sources
1. Wikipedia, International Boxing Association
Wikimedia FoundationFounding sectionQuote, Founding section
In November 1946, a consensus was met to give way for the boxing governing body to regain the loss of credibility due to the behavior of some leading officials in World War II.
1. Wikipedia, International Boxing Association
Wikimedia FoundationRenaming section, 75th anniversaryQuote, Renaming section, 75th anniversary
To mark the association's 75th anniversary, AIBA also unveiled a new logo and officially adopted 'IBA' as its abbreviated name
1. Wikipedia, International Boxing Association
Wikimedia FoundationGoverning Role sectionQuote, Governing Role section
governs and sanctions amateur and professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.
1. Wikipedia, International Boxing Association
Wikimedia FoundationHeadquarters infoboxQuote, Headquarters infobox
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
1. Wikipedia, International Boxing Association
Wikimedia FoundationFounding section, original nameQuote, Founding section, original name
Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur
1. Wikipedia, International Boxing Association
Wikimedia FoundationGoverns: Boxing, IOC Suspension and Expulsion sectionQuote, Governs: Boxing, IOC Suspension and Expulsion section
On 22 June 2023 during an Extraordinary IOC Session, the IOC executive board voted to withdraw its recognition of the IBA, marking the first time an international federation has been expelled from the Olympic movement.
Open Questions (1 open question)
Will the IBA or World Boxing be recognized as amateur boxing's permanent Olympic governing body?
The IOC expelled the IBA from Olympic recognition on 22 June 2023 over governance, finance and corruption concerns and ran the Paris 2024 boxing tournament directly through its own Boxing Unit rather than through IBA. In February 2025 the IOC granted only provisional recognition to a new rival body, World Boxing, as the federation for the 2028 Olympics, not a final or permanent determination. IBA disputes the IOC's characterization of the 2023 decision and has pursued legal challenges, including an appeal to Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court, so neither body's status as boxing's lasting Olympic governing body is settled.
What would resolve this A final ruling on IBA's appeal to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, or a permanent (non-provisional) IOC recognition decision for the federation governing boxing at and beyond the 2028 Olympics.
Wikipedia, International Boxing Association
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
Governs: Boxing
IBA disputes the IOC's 2023 expulsion decision and continues to describe itself as boxing's rightful governing body. In its own public response IBA called the IOC's move 'catastrophic for global boxing and blatantly contradicts the IOC's claims of acting in the best interests of boxing,' and general secretary Chris Roberts argued the Court of Arbitration for Sport 'was biased in favour of the IOC'; IBA subsequently appealed to Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court.
A dissenting reading, from International Boxing Association (IBA)Wikipedia, International Boxing Association, Wikimedia Foundation
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.