Boxing New Zealand is in discussion with a half a dozen athletes over participation at next month’s Women’s World Championships in India.
Boxing gloves
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Sweden, Britain and the Czech Republic are the latest nations to boycott the event with New Zealand under pressure to do the same.
A dozen nations have now said they won attend the tournament amid mounting concerns about the Russian-led sport’s Olympic future.
World governing body IBA, run by Russian Umar Kremlev and backed by Russian energy firm Gazprom, allows boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete with national flags and anthems despite the war in Ukraine.
Boxing New Zealand is a member of The Common Cause Alliance which is campaigning to keep boxing in the Olympics.
Chairman Keith Walker has regularly voiced his concerns about the Olympic future of the sport under the current regime.
Boxing New Zealand says it was never their intention to attend the world champs, but a number of New Zealand’s top female boxers had done their own fundraising to get there.
Boxing New Zealand has been in discussions with the New Zealand Olympic Committee about their options and an announcement is expected in the next 24 hours.
The Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands later this year will be the main Olympic qualifying tournament for New Zealand boxers.
The IBA was stripped of involvement in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and boxing is not on the initial programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, pending reforms demanded by the International Olympic Committee.
The Men’s World Championship will be in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in May.
In December, the IOC raised the possibility of boxing being excluded from the 2024 Paris Games, accusing the IBA of having “no real interest” in the sport or its athletes.
Qualifying for Paris is being organised by the IOC.
The IBA has urged U.S. and Irish boxers to ignore the boycott and said it will fund those wanting to compete in the championships.
The IBA also warned that it would pursue “strong sanctions against those who initiate and join the participation boycott”.
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