Boxing
Olympic-style boxing is a combat sport between two boxers of the same weight class, who score with clean punches of the knuckle part of the glove to the front and sides of the head and the body above the belt. A bout is three rounds, scored by five judges on the 10-point must system, and can also be won by knockout or by the referee stopping the contest. Competitions are knockouts.
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How long
Three rounds of three minutes, with a minute's rest between them
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Olympic Games (boxing)The title Olympic-style boxing is measured by.Every 4 years · Holder: 13 events; Uzbekistan won 5 golds
- 2World Boxing ChampionshipsThe world title, run since 2025 by World Boxing, the body the IOC recognised for Los Angeles 2028.To check (first edition 2025) · Holder: Liverpool 2025
- 3Asian Games (boxing)Asia's multi-sport title; for India often the most reachable major medal.Every 4 years · Holder: 11 events; India won 3 golds
- 4Commonwealth Games (boxing)A multi-sport title against the Commonwealth nations.Every 4 years · Holder: 14 events; India won 7 golds and 10 medals
India
- Boxing at the Olympic Games: 3 medals, all bronze: Vijender Singh (2008), Mary Kom (2012), Lovlina Borgohain (2020)
- World Boxing Championships: Liverpool 2025: 4 medals, 2 gold (Minakshi Hooda, Jaismine Lamboria), 1 silver, 1 bronze; third in the medal table
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaBoxing at the Asian Games: 12 golds, 17 silvers, 38 bronzes (latest 2026); Boxing at the Commonwealth Games: 18 golds, 16 silvers, 20 bronzes (latest 2026)
- United StatesBoxing at the Olympic Games: 50 golds, 27 silvers, 41 bronzes (latest 2024); World Boxing Championships: 1 silver (latest 2025)
- CubaBoxing at the Olympic Games: 42 golds, 19 silvers, 19 bronzes (latest 2024); World Boxing Championships: 3 bronzes (latest 2025)
- South KoreaBoxing at the Olympic Games: 3 golds, 7 silvers, 11 bronzes (latest 2024); Boxing at the Asian Games: 59 golds, 27 silvers, 31 bronzes (latest 2026)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | World Boxing, Competition Rules, approved November 2024 |
| International federation | World Boxing |
| In India | Boxing Federation of India (BFI): elections were held on 21 August 2025 under a World Boxing observer and Ajay Singh was re-elected president, the results subject to a Delhi High Court case by state units against the interim committee's constitution changes. It was not on the MYAS list for 2026 as published on 2026-10-08 |
Where and when it is played
In a ring at least 6.10 metres square inside the ropes. Elite men and women each have ten weight classes. The big events: the Olympic Games every four years and the World Boxing Championships, first held in 2025.