2016 RIO OLYMPICS: AIBA APPROVES PROS TO COMPETE IN BOXING
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 02 Jun 2016
The International Boxing Association, originally the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur and still referred to as the AIBA convened the so called Extraordinary Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland on June 1, 2016. AIBA President Ching-Kuo Wu reported that 95 percent of the delegates, 84 of 88, voted in favor of professionals fighting for the first time at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro starting on August 5, 2016.
AIBA spokesman Nicolas Jomard however said there would be no wild cards and the age limit at 40 is set for the boxers. That means Manny Pacquiao could not compete directly at Rio had he decided to join the Philippine boxing team and had to undergo a qualifying stage. A total of 26 Olympic slots for pros in all weight categories will be contested at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Vargas, Venezuela on July 3-8, 2016.
?This is a momentous occasion for AIBA, for Olympic Boxing, and for our sport as a whole, and represents another great leap forward in the evolution of boxing. We have embraced reform at AIBA over the past decade, making historic changes that have shaped the present health of boxing and precipitated its ongoing surge in popularity worldwide. This move will ensure the empowerment of National Federations and enhance all future competitions including the Olympic Games. Our mission is to continue to make brave decisions in the best interest of our boxers and for the good for the sport,? declared AIBA boss Wu in the official AIBA website.
"It's ridiculous, it's foolish, and some of the pro fighters are going to get beat by the amateurs. It's just going to happen, I really believe that," former world heavyweight Mike Tyson told Reuters.
When Wu became its president, AIBA organized the semi-professional World Series Boxing (WSB) in 2011 and the AIBA Pro Boxing where the boxers were given purses. Olympic boxing also opened to women's competition at the 2012 London Olympics.
AIBA?s decision to include professional boxers supports the IOC Agenda 2020 which enable the world?s best athletes to compete at the Olympics. AIBA is the only official boxing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee with 197 National Federations as members. It is celebrating its 70th year as the world governing sports body in amateur boxing.
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