Dear USA Boxing Members:
As of August 26, 2023, USA Boxing’s membership hit a milestone, which we want to share with you. Our membership topped 55,000 members, the most in USA Boxing’s history: 38,587 boxers, 14,321 coaches, officials, and physicians, 2,383 fitness members and 2,597 gyms also a record.
USA Boxing wants to thank our members; boxer, coaches, officials and physicians, Local Boxing Committee (LBC) Leaders and/or group members Golden Gloves of America and Franchises, National Collegiate Boxing Association, United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association, National Latino Boxing Association (provisional) and the National Office working together for the betterment of our sport. On behalf of USA Boxing Board of Directors and I, we would like to thank you all!
Registration for the Last Chance Qualifier ended last week with 400 boxers ready to compete in a couple weeks in Pueblo, Colo. We are also looking ahead to closing out our year in Lafayette, La. with our 2023 USA Boxing National Championships and 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Be on the lookout for more information regarding registration for Lafayette coming after the Last Chance Qualifier.
Upcoming Reminders
USA Boxing is also gearing up for our LBC Elections in the coming months, with the application to apply for candidacy opening this Friday. We encourage all eligible members to consider running for office at your local level, as you are the ones that keep USA Boxing going at the grassroots level.
The USA Boxing Foundation will also be taking applications for our Grants4Gyms, which will once again award 50 different registered clubs/gyms a grant that will cover gym membership, one coach membership, as well as equipment from STING and Impact Mouthguards. The application will be released on our website this Friday.
We also want to remind everyone about the Coaching You Up grants that are available for sanction holders to apply for to earn up to $1,500 for promoting our Coaching You Up program, which promotes awareness and education on vaccines, as well as possible vaccine clinics at events. More information can be found here.
World Boxing Update
World Boxing approved USA Boxing’s request for membership, becoming the first member of World Boxing. USA Boxing is proud to partner with 11 other countries, which include, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Germany, Great Britian, Honduras, New Zealand, Netherlands and Sweden, who represent three continents as World Boxing moves towards its inaugural congress to be held in November 2023.
Additionally, USA Boxing’s Women’s Championships were held in association with World Boxing and recently announced the USA Boxing International Invitational Tournament to be held in April 2024 in Pueblo, Colorado, also in association with World Boxing.
Last week the Swiss Boxing Association, who had terminated their IBA membership, voted to rejoin IBA. USA Boxing wishes the Swiss Boxing Association well as they followed their governance process. We also want to thank their former President, Andreas Anderegg, for his years of working alongside USA Boxing and the rest of the world to better amateur Olympic-style boxing.
Anderegg immediately resigned from his position with the Swiss Boxing Association due to his principles that he did not believe it was in the best interest of their boxers, coaches and officials to be part of an organization which has been removed from the Olympic movement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a first in the history of the 131 years of the IOC existence.
USA Boxing does have concerns related to the new President of the Swiss Boxing Federation, as he is an employee of IBA, which again calls into question their adheres to proper governance and violations of their own statutes governing conflicts of interest.
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) narrowly failed to pass a resolution to change their bylaws to give them sovereignty to decide, which international federation they would like to be a part of. The Irish congress fell four votes short to meet the very challenging and technical 2/3 threshold to change by laws. The vast majority of the Irish Clubs 84 voted to change the bylaws to regain their sovereignty from IBA, however 34 voted not to change the bylaws.
USA Boxing fully respects the democratic process and acknowledges the decision of other countries, however, the vote will have an impact on USA Boxing membership and sanctioned events. The recently revised rules of IBA requires national federations and their members to seek IBA “permission” to compete at the national and international levels, so this may impact Irish and USA Boxing club competitions.
Currently, USA Boxing has three sanctions approved for the remaining of 2023, which focuses on Irish versus USA competition. USA Boxing respects national federation’s sovereignty and free association internationally, which is required by Swiss law, however, IBA may refuse to permit Irish boxers, coaches and officials to participate in USA Boxing or any other of our partner national federation’s competitions. USA Boxing will be working with Irish boxing leadership and our sanction holders to help facilitate friendly competition. If you are planning international competitions, please contact the national office for guidance.
Lastly, to remind you, boxing will be contested in next summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, and our boxers will have their first opportunity to qualify for Paris at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, Oct. 19 – 28 in Santiago, Chile.
USA Boxing will continue to provide updates regarding national and international activities to our members have they come available.
In your corner,
Mike McAtee
USA Boxing
Executive Director/CEO