"We are now exploring modern technology" - World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst turns to AI for clarity in judgement in the sport

World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst is eager to revolutionize the sport with modern technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI), to make judging more transparent and objective. He hopes these changes will restore trust in boxing, which has faced criticism over its subjective and often controversial scoring system.

His statement came during an exclusive interview at the 44th Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly.

“We are now exploring modern technology, like AI, to make judging more transparent,” said van der Vorst, emphasizing the need for fairness and clarity in scoring.

Boxing has long grappled with issues surrounding its judging system. Although numerous revisions have been implemented over the years, they have yet to resolve the underlying problem.

The latest uproar emerged at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where India's Nishant Dev lost a controversial decision in the men’s 71kg quarterfinals despite appearing to control the bout. Outcries over such unjust decisions have prompted a more urgent search for solutions.

“There are interesting projects already underway to make judging more objective than subjective,” van der Vorst explained.

He acknowledged that the sport suffers from a "trust deficiency," and he remains committed to improving the integrity of the scoring process.

Van der Vorst, who took over as World Boxing president in November last year, is confident that AI could be part of the solution. However, the sport’s future at the Olympics remains uncertain.

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No boxing in LA 2028 Olympics?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) withdrew its recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year due to concerns over financial transparency and governance. As a result, boxing's place in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics is at risk.

“The governance also must be good. Boxing is not included for LA and the only way to have boxing included in LA is through getting our house in order. IOC has made it clear that they will not organise boxing third time in a row. In order to include boxing in LA programme, we need to have an international body who cares for the sport,” Van der Vorst said in the same interation.

To retain its position in future Olympic Games, World Boxing must secure the support of 50 national federations by the end of this year. As of now, 45 federations have joined, putting the organization within reach of its goal.

“We are nearly there,” van der Vorst said, expressing confidence that World Boxing will meet the required number. "We need 50 but I am pretty confident of getting more support. It’s important for us to have more representation from Asia.”

““For me the Olympics is the pinnacle, a life-time opportunity for a boxer’s career. I am a boxer myself and we must fight to keep the Olympic dream alive. It’s a privilege to be at the Olympics, to be part of multi-sport events like the Asian Games. Everything is at stake, at risk,” he concluded.