COSTA NAVARINO, Greece - Boxing was officially included in the sports program of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games following a vote at the 144th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session here on Thursday.

The IOC Executive Board had provisionally recognized World Boxing as the international federation for boxing on February 26, recommending the sport's inclusion to the IOC Session after a thorough assessment of governance and integrity criteria.

ALSO READ: Kirsty Coventry becomes first female and first African president of IOC

Boxing was initially excluded from the LA28 program approved in 2022 due to governance issues surrounding its previous governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA). After the IOC withdrew its recognition of IBA in June 2023, the future of boxing at the Olympics remained uncertain until consensus emerged around World Boxing.

Boxing first appeared in the modern Olympics in 1904 and has featured in every edition except for Stockholm 1912.