(From Dr. Lim Song, President of Vietnam Boxing Organization)
I am thrilled to announce a major milestone for the combat sports market in Vietnam: The IBF will officially host its 2026 Annual Convention here.
This convention is more than just an event; it is a global gathering of top referees, judges, champions, medical experts, promoters, and media. For Vietnam, hosting this event acts as a catalyst for the boxing industry, driving socio-economic development and offering our local talent life-changing networking opportunities.
The Backstory: From "Not on the List" to "Host Country". At the start of 2025, Vietnam wasn’t on the IBF’s radar. As a representative of the VBO, I flew to the convention in Atlantic City with a single mission: to pitch Vietnam to the IBF leadership.
I want to thank Mr. Daryl Peoples (President of IBF) and Ms. Jeanette Salazar (Director of PR) in trusting in the potential of Vietnam.
It took months of negotiation, site visits, and showcasing our nation's potential to convince them. The effort to secure this bid was immense, but the reward is historic: This will be the first time the IBF Convention is held in Southeast Asia.
Looking Ahead Securing the bid was step one. Executing a world-class event is step two. We are grateful for the incredible support of The Grand Ho Tram, but there is still work to be done to cover the significant costs and logistics involved.
We have met with the government representatives in HCMC and Hanoi and they are fully supportive. We have also dispatched official invitations to local boxing federations.
I sincerely hope all individuals and organizations in Vietnam will seize this opportunity to help grow the sport we love. We are open to all forms of collaboration and sponsorship to make this event a resounding success.
#IBF #InternationalBoxingFederation #vietnamboxing #boxing #ibfannualconvention #GrandHoTram
December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization
