Boxing: opening of the Women's Worlds against the backdrop of boycott

France's Estelle Mossely (left) beat Malawi's Anisha Basheel (right) on points on February 17, 2023 in Paris. The boxer retained the IBO lightweight belt. AFP - EMMANUEL DUNAND

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

3 min

The Women's World Boxing Championships open this Wednesday, March 15 until March 26 in New Delhi, India, with the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Endowed with $ 2.4 million, thanks to the Russian multinational Gazprom, the event is boycotted by 11 nations. The France participates in the tournament.

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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 Olympic Games.

The IOC will organize the qualification tournament for Paris, as it did for the Tokyo Games. The IBA announces the presence of an IOC observer team. Olympic boxing has been excluded from the Los Angeles 2028 programme by the IOC.

The France 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 because of the boycott, in protest against the presence of Russian and Belarusian boxers, allowed to compete with anthem and flag. These nations are also expected to boycott the men's World Championships 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.

IBA President Umar Kremlev of Russia, reappointed in 2022, is in India for the event taking place there for the third time, after the 2006 and 2018 editions. "India became a women's boxing capital this year, and now we are witnessing historic moments together. We have created a prize fund to ensure the well-being of athletes 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.

The France 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 convened the federation's steering committee which considered that these Worlds were a good preparation for Olympic qualification. The French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) was also consulted. "The France is the host country of the next Olympic Games so we have every interest in remaining neutral," Dominique Nato told AFP.

►Read:Boxing, a sport to decompress and feel good

Estelle Mossely for a second Olympic title in 2024

It will be the return of 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 home crowd.

«

Above all, this return is a pleasure for me. My last World Boxing 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 then. I am happy that the IBA is giving professional athletes a chance 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. In addition, I want to be one of the pioneering boxers who participate in professional and amateur boxing and succeed in both. This is an example I want to give to women," Estelle Mossely explained at a press conference on March 14.

Nine French boxers take part in these worlds. Twelve titles will be awarded during these Worlds, and each gold medalist will receive $100,000.

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