The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday said it needs to find a suitable new international boxing body by early next year or risk boxing dropping out of the Olympics for the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

The IOC stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of the right to run the Olympic boxing tournaments in Tokyo in 2021 and Paris this year.

On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the IOC’s decision to formally de-recognise the IBA, cutting it out of the Olympic movement altogether.

The IOC has long cited concerns about the IBA’s governance and the integrity of how boxing matches are refereed and judged. It also accused the IBA’s Russian president Umar Kremlev of using “violent and threatening language” about IOC personnel last year.

“Because of the universality and high social inclusivity of boxing, the IOC wants it to continue to feature on the programme of the Olympic Games,” the IOC said Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, this is far from certain for the Olympic Games LA 2028 because, for governance reasons, the IOC is not in a position to organise another Olympic boxing tournament.

"To keep boxing on the Olympic programme, the IOC needs a recognised and reliable International Federation as a partner, as with all the other Olympic sports.”

The IOC called on national boxing bodies and Olympic committees to help set up a new international governing body for boxing.

To keep boxing in the Olympics for Los Angeles, “the IOC needs to have a partner International Federation for boxing by early 2025,” it said.

The IOC didn’t name any candidates but the likeliest might be World Boxing, a breakaway body backed by boxing officials in the United States and Britain which split from the IBA last year and elected its president, Boris van der Vorst of the Netherlands.

World Boxing has started hosting its tournaments and said it had members from 27 nations and territories when it held a congress in November.

IBA may appeal

The IBA said it is analysing a decision by the global sport's top court to dismiss its appeal against the withdrawal of its Olympic recognition and it may take the case to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

The IBA said in a press release on Wednesday that it had made considerable progress in the areas mentioned by CAS, and that the court and the IOC had overlooked its extensive reforms.

"The IBA will refrain from further comments until the CAS award has been thoroughly analysed by its legal experts which is taking place right now to draw a conclusion whether the organisation appeals to the Swiss Federal Tribunal," it added.

Rival body World Boxing said last month it will seek recognition from Olympic organisers to replace the IBA and keep the sport on the programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Reuters, AP/PTI