World Boxing now includes 106 countries, but Armenia is still out of the game

The International Boxing Federation World Boxing, recognized by the IOC, has officially announced the addition of 17 more national federations. It now comprises 106 countries, including such prominent Olympic boxing nations as Cuba and Ireland. However, Armenia remains absent from this list — despite the active participation of Armenian boxers on the international stage, the country has not yet applied for membership in World Boxing.

The new members include: Cuba, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Austria, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Mexico, Macau, Mauritius, Spain, Uganda, UAE, and Venezuela.

All World Boxing members:

According to World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst, surpassing 100 member countries in just two years is “a significant confirmation of the trust of federations around the world.” The inclusion of Cuba — with 41 Olympic gold medals in boxing — is particularly notable. Ireland also emphasized that this is a historic step towards preserving the Olympic dream for its athletes.

The new members underwent strict compliance checks, including transparent elections, adherence to WADA anti-doping rules, and official national recognition.

Member federations of World Boxing will be eligible to participate in the World Championships, which will be held from September 4 to 14, 2025, in Liverpool, as well as in the Olympic qualifiers for the Los Angeles Games.

Meanwhile, Armenia in 2025 has only taken part in one international tournament — the Yerevan Mayor’s Open Cup. The country's absence from World Boxing’s membership may jeopardize Armenian boxers’ participation in the Olympic qualification process.

Whether Armenia will join the global movement in time and preserve its Olympic prospects remains an open question.

At the same time, Armenia’s absence from World Boxing is somewhat understandable. The Armenian Boxing Federation maintains good relations with the International Boxing Association (IBA): tournaments under its auspices are regularly held in the country, Armenian boxers actively compete in the IBA PRO league, and receive financial support from the IBA. However, it’s worth noting that countries like Cuba and Uzbekistan also have close ties with the IBA and its president Umar Kremlev, yet this did not prevent them from joining World Boxing. So there is hope that Armenia will also submit an application soon.