Update to the 2026 National Team Program
A critical omission has surfaced in the 2026 National Team Program‘s published criteria for selecting athletes to the 2026 Continental Championships.
The Priority 2 Criteria states that athletes will be selected if they achieve a:
“Top 8 finish at World Challenge Cup [or B-level event] in 2026;”
The criteria doesn’t provide a tie-breaking framework in case two athletes in the same weight class have met this criteria.
Because results are already in place there would be a perception of potential manipulation of the criteria if criteria changes were made by Boxing Canada staff. But given we can only select one athlete per weight category the criteria needs to have an addition of a tie breaking criteria so we can fill the spot.
To make the update Boxing Canada has convened a three person panel who will review the criteria, other tie breaking criteria in the NTP, and the 2025-2033 HP Plan and make a recommendation on a tie breaking criteria amendment to the existing criteria. The makeup of the panel will be a Board member, a current athlete (who is not eligible for the 2026 Continental Championships), and a sport expert from Own The Podium. Their recommendation will be checked to ensure it doesn’t conflict with any other published criteria and will then be put into effect so the 2026 Continental Championships selections can be made. Boxing Canada has contacted all the athletes potentially affected by the required update to alert them of the situation and the process for updating the NTP.
Anyone with questions on this process should contact clindsay@boxingcanada.org