China has been chosen to host the 2023 International Boxing Day and is also set to host the Global Boxing Forum for 2023 ©IBA

International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev believes the choice of China as this year's host of International Boxing Day will "shape the future of boxing."

The organisation's International Boxing Day is set to take place in China on August 27.

China has also been chosen to stage the Global Boxing Forum.

"Hosting these events aligns with China's ongoing efforts to foster sporting culture and will undoubtedly provide a fantastic platform to showcase boxing at its best," an IBA statement said.

The IBA announced that China is to host International Boxing Day and the Global Boxing Forum during their meeting in Phuket, Thailand ©IBA
The IBA announced that China is to host International Boxing Day and the Global Boxing Forum during their meeting in Phuket, Thailand ©IBA

"I sincerely thank the country for its efforts in the development of boxing and its commitment to enhancing, not only elite sport, but also sport for all," Kremlev declared.

"By selecting China as the host country, we are celebrating the 'Year of Asia' and honouring the region's passion for boxing."

The decisions were made at the IBA Board of Directors meeting in Phuket, Thailand, held less than a month after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision to expel the IBA from the Olympic Movement.

"Together with such a strong partner as China we are shaping the future of boxing, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead," Kremlev insisted.

International Boxing Day was introduced in 2017 by Kremlev as a national event when he was still Russian Boxing Federation secretary general.

By 2019, it had become an official IBA event and in 2021 it was scheduled for August 27, to "connect the date" with the inaugural World Boxing Championships held in Havana in 1974.

Kinshasa held the centrepiece events of International Boxing Day in 2022 as part of what was designated the "Year of Africa."

China will be only the third country to stage the Global Boxing Forum, which was first held at Sochi in 2018.

It is described by the IBA as "a platform enabling all participants of the international boxing movement to openly exchange ideas, learn from the best practice in the sports industry and create new connections."

The 2019 event was held in Yekaterinburg but the global COVID-19 pandemic forced its subsequent cancellation until 2022 when delegates met in Abu Dhabi.

The IBA is set to hold its next Ordinary Congress on December 9 and have announced that it will take place in an Asian country, though the specific host has not yet been revealed.

A few days ago, Kremlev told an extraordinary meeting of the European governing bodies of the sport that he expected the IBA’s Olympic recognition to be restored.

He had earlier announced that funding for IBA projects had been secured for the next four-year cycle and that more international tournaments would be held in new regions worldwide which it was claimed would broaden "the sport’s reach and visibility."