The 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships will be held from 26 October to 6 November 2021 in Belgrade, Serbia, the AIBA announced on Tuesday.

AIBA’s flagship event will serve as a major milestone in the boxing calendar this year, with the best boxers from around the globe set to contest in the Serbian capital. President of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, who is the Head of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) will oversee the delivery of the event.

Upon the announcement of the dates, Mr. Umar Kremlev, AIBA President expressed his desire for boxing to continue developing in spite of the challenging situation imposed by COVID-19.

“We should be united like never before during these challenging times and give our athletes an opportunity to perform at the highest level. The AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships will show our determination to provide a platform for boxers all around the world to achieve their full potential. We have full confidence that the tournament will be conducted safely, given our successful implementation of COVID-19 counter measures throughout this year,” President Kremlev said.

“The progress AIBA has and will continue to make from a reform perspective will be evident at the World Championships. We are placing significant emphasis on improving the transparency of our sport, as well as our governance. We have already implemented open scoring after each round and this is only the beginning. We will transform our rules for the benefit of boxers, as well as to make things clearer for spectators. The World Championships will be a real celebration of the sport of boxing,” President Kremlev added.

The last edition of the AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships was held in Ekaterinburg, Russia in 2019.