Estonia hoping to join new World Boxing organization

The Estonian Boxing Association (Eesti Poksiliit) has applied to join World Boxing, a new organization formed to secure the sport's amateur and Olympic status.
This move comes as relations between the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA) broke down with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ostensibly due to governance and financial issues, and likely also related to the international security situation.
In any event, this led to the sport being excluded from the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics, in 2028.
Estonian Boxing Association Secretary General Jelena Filimonova said: "We have sent them our documentation and are currently at the waiting phase."
If accepted, Estonia would join Lithuania as a World Boxing member.
"Based on the experience of our Lithuanian colleagues, we know that World Boxing currently has a lot on its plate and operates with a small administrative team," Filimonova added.
"Processing Lithuania's application took three months," she said.
Discussions about Estonia's potential membership of World Boxing began in June 2023, but until recently the domestic association's board has favored remaining within the IBA framework, while monitoring international developments.
Estonian Boxing Association president and former Tallinn deputy mayor Kalle Klandorf said:; "We believe that even though boxing has been excluded from the list of Olympic sports for now, the Americans—who consider boxing almost a national sport—will not let it be cast aside so readily."
"Naturally, we also want to remain part of the Olympic movement. At first, we thought it wise to proceed cautiously and observe how the organization develops," Klandorf added.
World Boxing currently counts over 60 members, including Estonia if accepted.
The Estonian application was filed in December 2024.
Estonia did not send any boxers to the Paris Olympics last year.
The other major global boxing organizations, the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF all sanction professional bouts, meaning they have no connection with the olympics.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte