Boxing great Gennady Golovkin will run to become president of World Boxing, aiming to safeguard the sport’s Olympic future.

Boxing was initially left off the Los Angeles 2028 programme after the International Boxing Association (IBA) was expelled from the Olympic movement.

A new federation, World Boxing, was formed to restore the sport’s Olympic standing and earned provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February, securing boxing’s place at LA 2028.

“With your trust, I will work to secure boxing’s Olympic future, restore global confidence and ensure that every federation, coach and athlete – no matter how small or far away – has a fair chance to grow,” Golovkin, 43, said.

Kazakhstan’s Golovkin, an Olympic silver medallist, held a middleweight world title and is widely regarded as one of the fiercest competitors of his generation.

Although not officially retired, he has not fought since losing the third fight of his trilogy with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in September 2022.

The only blemishes on his 45-fight record are two defeats by Alvarez, following a controversial draw in their first encounter that many believed Golovkin won.