What is the Panamerican Boxing Confederation?
The Panamerican Boxing Confederation is the continental confederation of World Boxing for the Americas, covering Olympic-style (amateur) boxing. World Boxing announced on 27 January 2025 that it was “to establish a Pan American Boxing Confederation to drive the development and growth of Olympic-style boxing in the Americas”, and that the body was “being formed by 17 National Federations from the Americas that are members of World Boxing”.[2] The name appears in three spellings in the sources: “Pan American Boxing Confederation” in World Boxing’s January 2025 announcement and in Panam Sports’ report of the inaugural Congress, and “PanAmerican Boxing Confederation” in World Boxing’s report of that Congress, which calls it “World Boxing’s PanAmerican Boxing Confederation”.[3][4] The Confederation’s statutes, which the inaugural Congress ratified, and its own website could not be retrieved, so its legal form and registered seat are not stated here. Its first president, Elise Seignolle, told the Congress: “Together, we will work to ensure that boxing remains a vital part of the Olympic family and to provide more opportunities for our athletes.”[3]
What does the Panamerican Boxing Confederation govern or do?
The Confederation’s duties are set by the World Boxing Statutes. Article 8.3 requires continental confederations to “pursue strategies and policies that fulfil or are core to and consistent with the Mission and Values and the Purpose and Objectives of World Boxing”, and Article 8.4 states that they “must organise events and develop Boxing on their continents in a manner consistent with these Statutes, the Code of Ethics and the Rules and Policies of World Boxing.”[1] The competition rules therefore remain World Boxing’s: its competitions page publishes the World Boxing Competition Rules in the version approved in November 2024.[7] World Boxing announced in January 2025 that the new body would approve its statutes, elect its executive leadership and “establish operating guidelines” at its first Congress.[2] The officers elected on 15 March 2025 include chairs of an Audit and Finance Committee, a Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and a Sport and Competition Committee.[3] Olympic qualification is not delegated to it by name: World Boxing’s LA28 qualification system, version of 6 May 2026, lists the Americas continental event as “PanAm Qualifier 2027 /2028 - TBD”.[11]
When was the Panamerican Boxing Confederation founded and where is it based?
Three dates mark the body’s creation. On 27 January 2025 World Boxing announced that the Confederation was to be established, calling it “the second Continental Confederation established by World Boxing following the announcement in November 2024 that an Asian Confederation is being created”.[2] The same announcement set the inaugural Congress for 15 March 2025 in Panama City, where members would “approve the statutes of the new Confederation, elect its Executive Leadership, and establish operating guidelines”. The Congress met on that date at the Hotel El Panama, according to Panam Sports, which reported that it “brought together members of the 18 national federations across the continent that form this new organization”.[4] World Boxing reported that “the key business on the day included the ratification of the Statutes of the new organisation and the election of the President and Executive Committee”, with Elise Seignolle of USA Boxing elected president.[3] The Comité Olímpico de Panamá reported two Panamanian officers: Tomás Cianca as vice-president and Amabelis Camaño as treasurer.[5] None of the retrieved sources gives the Confederation’s registered seat; Panama City is where the founding Congress met, not a seat stated by the statutes.
How is the Panamerican Boxing Confederation recognised?
The recognising instrument is the World Boxing Statutes, in the edition put into effect on 1 July 2026. Article 8.1 provides that “World Boxing may endorse the formation of Continental Confederations for the five continents as recognised by the IOC, that is, Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas”; Article 8.2 requires each to publish statutes “that conform with these Statutes”; and Article 9.2 gives the continental confederations five seats on World Boxing’s Executive Board, “one from each Continental Confederation”.[1] The Confederation holds no IOC recognition of its own; its standing derives from World Boxing, which administers boxing qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Games under the qualification system dated 6 May 2026.[11] At the continental multi-sport level, boxing is on the programme of the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, 23 July to 8 August 2027, as Panam Sports lists it.[12] Panam Sports reported the inaugural Congress, at which the new president said: “We are committed to working hand in hand with organizations such as Panam Sports, Centro Caribe Sports, ODESUR, ODEBO, CANOC, and ORDECA.”[4] No Panam Sports list of recognised confederations naming the body could be retrieved. The International Boxing Association lists four continental units on its own site — IBA Africa, IBA Asia, IBA Europe and IBA Oceania — and no unit for the Americas.[10]
What does the Panamerican Boxing Confederation organise?
The Confederation’s senior continental championship is the PanAmerican Boxing Championships, for men and women. World Boxing’s competitions page states that it hosts Elite and U19 world championships every two years and that “following the formation of continental confederations, the same approach will apply to Continental Championships.”[7] Its updated 2026 calendar, published on 21 January 2026, said that three continental confederations would “host their inaugural championships” within twelve months, ending with the PanAmerican Boxing Championships in Mexico, then dated 10–17 October 2026.[8] World Boxing’s calendar now lists the event, under “Confederation Events”, for Puebla, Mexico, 17–25 October 2026, in the categories “Elite: Men, Women”; on 1 October 2026 it had not yet been held.[9] The first edition is therefore upcoming, and no completed edition, frequency in practice or next host can yet be reported. The Americas qualifier for Los Angeles 2028 is a separate event, listed in World Boxing’s qualification system as “Pan American Qualifier – Dates & Location TBD”.[11]
Who are its members?
Article 8.5 of the World Boxing Statutes provides that “a Full Member will automatically become a member of its Continental Confederation, subject to any additional Continental Confederation rules and requirements”, so the Confederation’s membership follows World Boxing’s in the Americas.[1] Two counts were published at the founding. World Boxing’s January 2025 announcement named 17 forming federations: Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, the United States, Suriname and the Virgin Islands.[2] Panam Sports put the number at the March 2025 Congress at 18.[4] No later count by the Confederation itself could be retrieved. World Boxing’s directory of federations, which groups its members by region including a “Pan America” region, gives a worldwide total of 182 member national federations; Americas members in it include Argentina’s federation, Brazil’s confederation, Boxing Canada, Colombia’s federation and the Cuban Boxing Federation.[6]
References
- World Boxing — Statutes, in effect from 1 July 2026 (Articles 8, 9). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- World Boxing — “World Boxing to establish Continental Confederation in the Americas”, 27 January 2025. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- World Boxing — “USA’s Elise Seignolle elected President at inaugural Congress of World Boxing’s PanAmerican Confederation”, 17 March 2025. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Panam Sports — “Elise Seignolle (USA) elected as President of the Pan American Boxing Confederation”, 16 March 2025. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Comité Olímpico de Panamá — “Dos panameños parte del nuevo Comité Ejecutivo de la Pan American Boxing Confederation”. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- World Boxing — Directory of federations (182 member national federations). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- World Boxing — Competitions (competition structure; Competition Rules, November 2024). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- World Boxing — “World Boxing publishes updated 2026 competition calendar”, 21 January 2026. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- World Boxing — Calendar: PanAmerican Boxing Championships, Elite: Men, Women (Puebla, 17–25 October 2026). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- International Boxing Association — Continental units (IBA family: confederations). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- World Boxing — Qualification System, Games of the XXXIV Olympiad LA28, Boxing, version as of 6 May 2026. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Panam Sports — Lima 2027 Pan American Games (sports programme). Accessed 2026-10-01.