The International Boxing Association (IBA) has reached out to President Donald Trump for help after boxing was excluded from the initial lineup for the 2028 Olympics

The letter, written by IBA President Umar Kremlev and CEO Chris Roberts, highlights the association’s concerns over the current leadership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its governance.

In the letter, the IBA expresses gratitude for President Trump’s stance on the inadmissibility of ineligible athletes in women’s boxing, a position he took during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The IBA also commends the recent legislation passed by the US Congress, which prohibits the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports. 

An excerpt from the letter about the recent US law change, reads: “This law aligns perfectly with our re-invigorated policy work, aimed at promoting gender equality and safeguarding the health and well-being of female athletes. 

“We believe that this approach not only protects the integrity of women’s sports but also fosters an environment where all athletes can thrive and compete both safely and fairly. 

“The recent cases of heated debates over the inclusion of transgender athletes in female categories, however, highlight the urgent need for clearer international regulations and guidelines. 

“In particular, we look towards the IOC, which we believe will benefit from renewed leadership to take place in March this year and a willingness to adopt regulations that ensure equal opportunity for all athletes while respecting the historically understood categories of gender in sports.”

Despite this focus on the gender issue, the IOC has previously cited various reasons for the exclusion of boxing from the 2028 Olympics, including issues related to transparency in judging and the IBA’s funding ties to a Russian company. 

The disagreement escalated last year when the IBA announced plans to award prize money to all Olympic champions and medalists of Paris 2024. Additionally, Olympic gold medalists would be eligible to compete for titles at IBA Champions’ Night events.

At the time of this announcement, the IOC had already issued an ultimatum to the IBA: address ethical issues in boxing or risk exclusion from the Olympics.

The letter continues with the boxing governing body inviting the US to collaborate on initiatives to support the growth of boxing in the country, stating that by joining forces they can “ensure that boxing continues to flourish and that the rights of all athletes are upheld in all aspects of both national and international sports”.

The letter concludes: “Thank you for your attention to these important matters. We look forward with great optimism to the possibility of working together to make the Olympic movement great again, advance the sport of boxing and to champion the rights of athletes globally.”

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