Welsh Amateur Boxing Association

The association was founded in 1910 to promote and develop amateur boxing in Wales. Since then, the WABA has produced a number of internationally successful amateur boxers, both men and women.

The association makes an explicit distinction between professional boxing and amateur boxing, considering them a different code and a different sport; its own competition format is Olympic amateur boxing.

The federation brings together more than one hundred and thirty affiliated clubs with members of all ages and backgrounds, and manages membership, club affiliation and domestic competitions. Member administration and registrations are handled through its own digital portal.

The coaching pathway has three levels: the Boxing Leaders Award as a one-day introductory course for volunteers and assistants working under supervision, the Assistant Coach Award as a two-day course covering glove work and circuit training, among other topics, and the four-day Club Coach Award for coaches who lead sessions themselves and manage a corner team. Development then continues through the licensing and continuing education programme.

Under the name Safer Boxing, the federation publishes a comprehensive set of policies and procedures for protecting children and vulnerable adults, with guidelines on bullying, inappropriate conduct, photography and video, social media and transporting young people, plus role profiles for welfare officers at clubs and in the region. Anti-doping is governed by UK Anti-Doping rules, with its own strategy and extensive information on medication, supplements, doping controls and therapeutic use exemptions.

Welsh Boxing is a member of both World Boxing and European Boxing. This makes it the only one of the three British associations to explicitly mention membership of both umbrella organizations on its own website.

In addition, the association is affiliated with the British Amateur Boxing Association as one of the three countries funded by UK Sport through GB Boxing. Chair Jason Harborow represents Wales as a board member of GB Boxing.

Welsh boxing is visibly connected to the national sporting identity: in 2026, boxing was praised during Team Wales's homecoming at the Senedd, the Welsh parliament.

In September 2026, an international match against Ireland took place at the Sport Wales National Centre, a regular opponent in the international program. The federation also emphasizes participation pathways: young people can join a club from the age of six, take part in skills bouts from the age of eight, and box in competitions from the age of ten, up to the age of forty.