▪️Africa has officially been allocated 14 direct qualification slots (one per weight category) for the Continental Qualifier of the 2028 Los Angeles
Olympic Games.
May 24, 2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Boxing have confirmed a total of quota places spanning across equal weight categories.
Africa and Oceania have each been allocated 14 quotas. In their continental qualifiers, each will provide exactly 1 quota spot per weight class.
The regional qualifiers distribute 112 quota places (56 for men, 56 for women). The allocation per continent is based on the number of quota spots awarded in each of the 14 weight classes.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Africa was represented by 23 registered boxers following the last-minute withdrawal of Ethiopia’s Yadesa Leta who replaced injured Nigerian featherweight Omole Dolapo. Eventually the number was reduced to 22 after Nigeria’s African Games lightweight champion Cynthia Ogunsemilore was removed on doping allegations.
Initially, the qualifiers were 24. Algeria led with five boxers, Morocco and Egypt three each, DR Congo, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Zambia two each with Mali and Tunisia having one each. In the continental qualifiers, Africa was allocated 18 slots. For LA Olympics they’ve been cut down to 14.
The 2028 LA Olympics slots:
Africa: 14 places (1 spot per weight class per gender)
Asia: 28 places (2 spots per weight class per gender)
Europe: 28 places (2 spots per weight class per gender)
Oceania: 14 places (1 spot per weight class per gender)
Pan-America: 28 places (2 spots per weight class per gender)
Women’s classes: 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, and 75kg.
Men’s classes: 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 80kg, 90kg, and +90kg).
Qualifying for the Olympic Games will take place across four phases, giving African boxers multiple opportunities to secure a spot:
The World Boxing Championships scheduled for April, 2027, in Astana, Kazakhstan, will be the first opportunity, offering a combined total of 44 spots.
To be eligible to participate in the LA28 Olympic Games boxing tournament, athletes must have been born between 1 January 1988 and 31 December 2009.
2027 World Championships (44 Quotas)
The World Championships will be the first Olympic qualifying event, offering 44 quota spots across the 14 medal events — 4 spots each in 8 categories and 2 spots each in 6 categories.
All the semi-finalists in the first four Olympic weight categories (both men’s and women’s) will secure a quota spot, while only the finalists will earn quotas in the remaining categories.
Note: In boxing, the quota spot belongs to the individual boxer who earns it, which means that the same boxer will represent their country at the Olympics.
2028 Regional Qualifiers (112 Quotas)
After the World Championships, each of the five federations – Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Pan-America will hold its Individual Continental Qualifiers.
Africa and Oceania qualifiers will offer 1 quota spot in each of the 14 weight categories, while Europe, Pan-America, and Asia will offer 2 quota spots in each category per gender.
2028 World Qualifier-1 (46 Quotas)
The boxers who have yet to qualify for the Olympics via the World Championships & Continental Qualifiers will fight at the World Qualifiers-1.
It will offer 4 quotas each in 9 weight categories (Women’s 57-65-70-75Kg & Men’s 65-70-80-90-90+Kg) and 2 quotas in the other seven weight categories.
Host Quotas (1-6 Quotas)
The host country will be guaranteed a maximum of six quota places, three for women and three for men.
After the completion of the respective continental qualification tournament and the first World Qualification Tournament, the host country will be asked to confirm any quota places allocated to it via this tournament.
If the host nation has not won any quota spots earlier, it will be allocated up to 6 quotas. If it has already earned some, that number will be deducted from 6 to determine the remaining host quotas available.
Universality Quotas (8 quotas)
Eight universality places (four per gender) are made available to eligible NOCs, but that particular boxer has to participate in at least one of the above-mentioned boxing qualification tournaments.
2028 World Qualifier-2 (28-36 Quotas)
The second World Qualifier will be the last chance for the boxers to earn an LA Olympics Quota.
There will be 2 to 4 quota spots available at the final qualifier, depending on how many hosts quota USA will be taking on prior to this tournament.
Example: If the USA has already won a men’s 55kg quota through any of the qualifying events, there will be 3 quotas in this category at World Qualifier 2. But if they secure it via the host quota, then only 2 will be allocated.
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