● The president of the WBO, Gustavo Olivieri, Esq., and the executive president of Commerce of Bogotá, Ovidio Claros Polanco, united to make the Colombian capital into the venue of this important event that’ll make history in the ring for the 27th to the 30th of October.
● Bogotá was chosen over Budapest, Hungary, and Orlando, Florida, as the site of this event. More than 150 delegations from 65 countries, including Japan, the United States, Russia, Arab nations, Mexico, and Southeast Asia, will participate in the fights, academic activities, and the sports fair.
● The sporting sector in Bogotá and the region has 5,419 active companies that generate over 24,000 jobs. It’s calculated that this event could generate over $3 million for the city.
Bogotá, March 2025. With the goal of strengthening the local sports tourism and economy, the Tourism, Recreation, and Events Cluster of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (CCB), in alliance with the World Boxing Organization (WBO), will bring to Bogotá the 38th Annual WBO World Convention in October 2025; the event with the highest global impact in its sector.
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The WBO is one of the main organizations overseeing professional boxing at the international level. It was founded in 1964 and aims to regulate boxing, promote fair competition, and ensure the well-being of boxers. The WBO plays a crucial role in world boxing as one of the principal entities regulating the sport and awarding titles.
This edition, which will take place in Ágora Bogotá Convention Center, is expected to generate over $3 million, from 500 to 800 new jobs during the event; as well as an undercard, academic sporting activities; more than 150 visits to the immersive experiences of boxing, and the presence of over 30 entrepreneurs and sports businesspeople from Bogotá and the region, as participants in the fair.
This convention, which is the meeting point of international boxing, looks to highlight the impact of this sport on social inclusion, physical fitness, and the formation of sports talent, among champions, trainers, and international sponsors. This event could surpass the most recent editions of San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), where over 400 figures participated, including boxing stars and well-known investors.
Ovidio Claros Polanco, president of the CCB stated “We are firmly committed to be strategic allies for the WBO. Starting today. We will focus all our efforts, resources, contact network, programs, infrastructure, and services to guarantee not only the success of this visit but also that of the World Convention in October 2025”.
Gustavo Olivieri, Esq., president of the WBO, said: “This will be a historic convention, not just because Bogotá won the right to be the venue over cities like Budapest, Hungary, and Orlando; but because it’ll be the first time a global boxing organization opens its doors to the general public; this means that not only will the affiliates of the sports will be hand, but also the community in general, opening doors and alliances for all who are in Bogotá to enjoy this event”.
Bogotá, A City Ready For World Boxing
For decades, Colombia and Latin America have been a hotbed of world champions, and this convention will serve as a platform for the new generation of boxers. With it, Bogotá projects as an international reference to the sport, given that events of this magnitude impulse key sectors, like tourism, gastronomy, commerce, and transport. According to the Bogotá Secretary of Economic Development, in 2024, the biggest sporting and cultural events in the capital generated more than 328 billion pesos (approximately USD 80 million). This impact strengthens the local economy and it’s evidence of Bogotá’s potential as a venue for international sports.
