WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s boxing federation has officially secured membership in World Boxing, a major step that reopens international competition opportunities for the island’s fighters and strengthens Curaçao’s position in Olympic boxing.
The announcement was made by Edwin Baas, president of the Curaçao Boxing Association, also known as CuraBox, who described the development as an important milestone after what he called an extensive membership process.
With the new membership, Curaçao’s boxers are now eligible to participate in international tournaments organized under the World Boxing structure, including Olympic qualification pathways.
World Boxing was established in 2023 after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) permanently withdrew recognition from the International Boxing Association (IBA) over governance and integrity concerns.
The creation of World Boxing marked a major shift in international amateur boxing, with national federations around the world required to align with the new body in order to remain eligible for Olympic competition.
In February 2025, World Boxing received official recognition from the IOC as the governing body for Olympic boxing, cementing its authority over the sport’s future on the Olympic stage.
For Curaçao, joining World Boxing means immediate access to important international events.
According to CuraBox, the island is now able to compete in the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands from May 22 to 25, as well as the South American Games in Argentina, scheduled for September 12 to 26.
These tournaments are considered important stepping stones for athletes aiming to gain international experience and improve their regional and global rankings.
The development also connects Curaçao more directly to the sport’s new international leadership.
One of the founders of World Boxing was Boris van der Vorst, who served as the organization’s first president but chose not to seek re-election during the World Boxing Congress in November 2025.
He was succeeded by legendary Kazakh world champion Gennadiy Golovkin, who now leads the organization as it prepares for future Olympic cycles and broader international expansion.
The Curaçao federation also highlighted the involvement of Len Huard, who has served as Vice President of European Boxing since 2025 and remains actively involved in the international boxing structure.
For Curaçao’s boxing community, the membership is seen as a major breakthrough, giving local athletes a renewed path toward elite international competition and potentially the Olympic Games.
It also signals a new chapter for the sport on the island, where boxing has long produced talent but has faced challenges in maintaining consistent access to top-level international competition.