The Women’s Boxing World Championships open this Tuesday, March 15 until March 26 in New Delhi, India, with the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Endowed with 2.4 million dollars, thanks to the Russian multinational Gazprom, the event is boycotted by 11 nations. France participates in the tournament.
More than 300 athletes from 65 countries are in New Delhi, for these Worlds organized by the IBA (International boxing association), suspended since 2019 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), for governance and financial problems. These Worlds are therefore not qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The IOC will organize the qualifying tournament for Paris, as was done for the Tokyo Games. The IBA announces the presence of a team of IOC observers. Olympic boxing has been excluded from the Los Angeles 2028 program by the IOC.
France has decided to go to India
The United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Norway are not on the trip due to boycott, in protest against the presence Russian and Belarusian female boxers, allowed to compete with anthem and flag. These nations should also boycott the Men’s Worlds from May 1 to 14 in Uzbekistan.
While most international federations have banned Russian and Belarusian athletes since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IBA has not ruled them out.
The president of the IBA, the Russian Umar Kremlev, renewed in 2022, is in India for the event which takes place there for the third time, after the 2006 and 2018 editions. India has become a capital of boxing female this year, and now we are witnessing historic moments together. We have created a prize fund to ensure athlete welfare and have secured the fairest and most transparent event for our boxers, so that the strongest can win. Thanks to Professor McLaren’s team and the Fight Review Rule, there will be no doubt about the integrity of our competitions “, he said on Monday, March 14.
France has decided to go to India. Dominique Nato, president of the French Boxing Federation asked the opinion of the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra who did not want to prevent the French women from participating in the Worlds. Dominique Nato brought together the federation’s steering committee, which felt that these Worlds were good preparation for Olympic qualification. The French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) was also consulted. ” France is the host country of the next Olympic Games so we have every interest in remaining neutral »explained to AFP Dominique Nato.
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Estelle Mossely for a second Olympic title in 2024
It will be the return of the world and Olympic champion Estelle Mossely currently a professional boxer. After Rio 2016, Estelle Mossely is also aiming for gold in Paris in front of her audience.
” Above all, this return is a pleasure for me. My last boxing world championships were in 2016 and I won a gold medal there. I see a lot of evolution in the organization of events and the level of women’s boxing since. I am happy that the IBA is giving a chance for professional athletes to compete, and I took this opportunity because I dream of returning to the Olympic ring, and the World Championships are the biggest step for that. Also, I want to be one of the pioneer boxers who compete in professional and amateur boxing and be successful in both. This is an example that I want to give to women “, explained Estelle Mossely at a press conference on March 14.
Nine tricolor boxers take part in these worlds. Twelve titles will be awarded during these Worlds, and each gold medalist will receive $100,000.