CHENNAI: "Saviour of Olympic boxing”, he earned the moniker through his incessant work. He was at the helm of World Boxing when no national federation wanted to join them. WB president Boris van der Vorst led a select breakaway federations (11 to start with) that eventually sowed the seeds and planted the pillars of the new boxing organisation. It was a necessity to save boxing from perishing. He waded through some of the most difficult terrains to bring boxing back into the Olympic fold. And after all the hard work was over, he has decided to not contest the elections this month. World Boxing is staring at transition once again.
The businessman from the Netherlands worked closely with like-minded people to establish WB and also bring in national bodies into its fold from the erstwhile International Boxing Association (IBA). With the IOC threatening to exclude boxing from its LA28 roster, van der Vorst and his team had to work really hard to save boxing. He feels he has kept his promise of getting the sport back into the Olympic fold.
In an interview from Europe, he speaks about his journey and future of WB. He feels in terms of accountability and transparency, a lot still needs to be done. He feels sex determination test is one way for protecting women boxers and more research is required. On deciding not to contest, he says he had proven himself. Excerpts:
You got most of the national federations in World Boxing, and then the IOC provisional recognition followed. You had done the hard work and now you have decided to not continue as president. What made you take this big decision?
I think it's important to stress that there were many milestones in the last few years. The first one was three years ago when I invited like-minded boxing leaders to come to the Netherlands, because Olympic boxing was in deep danger. We were facing a nightmare because boxing was not included in the LA programme. It was absolutely clear, in my opinion, that we needed to set up, create a clean block for boxing, and a new federation and that international federation became World Boxing. I chose a name. My wife did the branding and designed the logo. It was really important to get the whole governance and the statutes and the membership applications in order. At the same time, we needed to get national federations across the line and make them aware that they needed to join WB in order to save Olympic boxing, and organise competitions. We were looking for funding. It was not easy. At the same time, we didn't have a free run, because the previous international federation was still on the field. It was crucial for us that we were making progress. We had several challenges in the recognition pathway including getting the WADA nod for the anti-doping programme. The ultimate milestone was getting the provisional recognition. In March, there was the re-inclusion of boxing in LA at the IOC session in Greece.
I can tell you it was a seven days job, day and night. I worked hard together with, of course, people around me, and the team around me. I am so incredibly proud in what we achieved and that we saved the Olympic rings for every boxing, every gym in the world, also in India.
For example, when I visited India (several times), I also visited the boxing gym, and the first question that I asked the young boys and young girls training hard there, is what is your dream, your goal? Every young boy and young girl said their ultimate goal was to represent India at the Olympic Games, and it is not only the Olympic Games of course, it is also the Military Games or the World Combat games, the Commonwealth Games and the continental games.
Was it a deliberate decision by you to not contest these elections?
I think I have proven myself that I can deliver. I have proven that I can also set up businesses. For example, in the Netherlands, that I can set up a new business, and make it successful at a national level, and the same with World Boxing, that I can create some kind of movement, joint efforts to work for a collaborative mission. I think that's where my talent or my qualities are, is getting this across the line, and that was for me the most important thing to achieve.
So your main objectives were transparency in governance, refereeing and judging. Do you think you have achieved that?
I achieved my objectives, that was re-inclusion of boxing in the LA programme. Others are an ongoing, to ensure the competition integrity, and that the best boxers hands are raised after each bout. I think there's a lot of work still to be done, and it is an ongoing process to ensure that kind of integrity in the field of play, and it is crucial that we keep engaging modern technology, like AI, to ensure that every boxer deserves to be a winner when they are a winner.
Did you find a lot of obstacles or opposition during this process while trying to bring transparency and accountability in governance and refereeing and judging?
It was not easy at all. In establishing a clean body for boxing, in creating a new international federation, and getting the recognition, the provisional recognition within two and a half years' time. It was an immense task. I told you also in the beginning that there was still another IF in the field, so we didn't have a free run. I just see it as a kind of development process where we have done a lot, but still we need to work hard in order to fulfil the whole legacy, that's crucial. And coming into this, raising the right hand after each bout.
What about the sex determination test which the WB introduced?
I think it's important to stress that after the controversy in Paris, there was uncertainty about the safety and the integrity of the sport within the boxing world. What was important to mention is that, especially for combat sport, safety and integrity are very critical items. It was for us a crucial task to ensure that the safety and the integrity were good. We really needed to look into the eligibility of boxers, especially, in the women's category, and that's what we have done with the introduction in May (end of May), we announced that we would start with testing for the women's category, and on August 20, we published our testing policy. That was to also ensure that we would have a safe and integral World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. We all know that it's a short-term solution, because you need to do further investigation. For example, when a test shows an Y-chromosome, you still need to do testing whether there's a performance advantage. At least it's a good starting point, and I think that the WB Anti-Doping and Medical Committee worked very hard to define this policy. At the same time, together with other IFs who are facing the same challenge, it is really a very delicate matter, which needs to be discussed in the near future with experts, data, and in order to come to a final solution. We have started with a short-term testing policy, but lots of work still needs to be done.
When you started, the power centre of boxing shifted to Europe. Now with Kazakhstan's Gennady Golovkin set to become president of WB will the power shift to central Asia? Will the boxing set up change?
I don't think so, not necessarily. For me it's important that the legacy that we created, that they continue with it. That they will fight to keep the legacy in place. I have trust that they will do this. We don't need to come in the same situation where boxing was before we started World Boxing.
How challenging will it be now... the transition and do you see yourself in any capacity in WB?
I would love to be involved and I would love to assist and help. Boxing is my sport, and it's really important now to get the full recognition for boxing by delivering excellent, high quality competition. For example, Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will be big. The LA Games. I think those are very important milestones in the full recognition pathway. I always want to support and contribute, because I told you it's not about my position, but it's important that we can deliver as World Boxing.
So, what would be your parting words to the WB Congress?
That's something I need to work on, my farewell speech. But for now, let's keep on punching together, and of course. I have some time to think about it in the coming weeks, and for now, I'm also really looking forward for the World Boxing Cup Finals in India, where seeded and ranked boxers are invited to compete from four continents. About 130 boxers from 18 national federations. And I'm confident that the organisation is in solid hands with the Boxing Federation of India, and so I'm really looking forward.
How important was India to you?
For me, it was a real milestone when the Boxing Federation of India joined World Boxing. I will never forget it. They were one of the first strong national federations in Asia that joined WB, and it was a very responsible and strong stance they took. And we have a good collaboration, that's why also the BFI is organising the World Boxing Cup Finals. And for me, it's also great to see that India is really developing as a powerhouse for boxing. And I'm pretty confident that not only they win medals at the World Boxing Cups and championships but they're also able to win medals in Los Angeles.
