Please click here for qualification criterion for the AIBA World Elite Championships in Hamburg, Germany in August/September.

Following the completion of the qualification process through Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, 280 boxers will compete at the 19th edition of the tournament in Hamburg.

260 of those places will be earned in the ring, with the remaining 20 berths distributed to the host nation (10) and wild cards (10).

In relation to Irish boxing, the sole qualifier for Hamburg is the European Elite Championships in Kharkiv, Ukraine in June.

Eighty places – the highest quota of all the continents – are up for grabs in Kharkiv, the Ukraine’s second largest city.

Irish boxing has claimed 1 gold, 2 silver and 9 bronze at the Men’s World Elites Championships since the inaugural tournament in Havana in 1974.

Ireland occupies 24th spot in the overall medals table. Cuba top the table with 125 medals, 70 of which are gold.

The home of Irish boxing will host a Female Seminar this weekend.

Proceedings get underway at 9.30am at the National Stadium on Saturday morning.

Sean McComb believes that June’s European Elite Championships in the Kharkiv, Ukraine will, given Europe’s reputation as one of the top boxing continents, test Irish boxing.

However, the Belfast southpaw is confident he’ll qualify at the 42nd edition of the tournament for the AIBA World Elite Championships in Hamburg, Germany in August/September.

The top eight in each of the ten weights in Kharkiv book ticket for Hamburg. The Europeans have 80 qualifying berths on offer for the Worlds, the highest quota of all the continents.

McComb moved up from light to light-welter to claim his third Irish Elite title last Friday after beating Wayne Kelly in the 64kg final at Dublin’s National Stadium.

“I think it is a tough ask considering that Europe is one of the hardest continents, although I will be confident in qualifying for the World Championships,” said the Holy Trinity BC man who claimed bronze for Ireland at the 2015 European Games in Azerbaijan.

McComb is signed with the British Lionhearts in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) for this season. The Lionhearts meet France in Paris on Thursday, but a call up for McComb was never on the cards this month as the National Elites were underway. He expects to be selected next month or in April.

The two-weight Irish champion also believes that moving up from 60kg to 64kg allows him to focus on tactics rather than the weighing scale.

“I felt brilliant (at light-welter at the Irish Elite Championships). I think it was clear to see as well. The move up allows me to train properly and work on the right tactics to suit my style rather than losing weight.”

Meantime, the Irish Elite High-Performance squad resume training in Abbotstown on February 28th.

“When I was in my first seniors nobody really knew who I was, now people know who I am. That young fella (Thomas McCarthy) obviously knew who I was and he was only 18, same as I was when I first entered, so the roles were reversed a bit, he said.

“There was no pressure on him, he was just coming to give it a go. If he beats me, he’d be loving it, he’d be the talk of the place. The pressure was on me I suppose, but you just get used to it.

“Fighting in front of a couple of hundred people in Dublin, it’s not too bad whereas at the Olympics you’re fighting in front of thousands, the place is packed – it’s completely different. It’s the world’s biggest stage, bright lights, everybody screaming, so coming back to fighting in Dublin, you’re more ready for it.”

Irvine is now targeting the European and World Championships in the Ukraine and Germany this summer.

The Europeans are the sole qualifiers for the World Championships. The top eight (quarter-finalists) in each of the ten weights book tickets for Germany.

“And you always have to remember that, although there’s no Olympics, this is a huge year for me with the European Championships and the Worlds if I qualify, ” added the St Paul’s BC man.

Meanwhile, the Elite High-Performance squad return to training on February 28th.

Dr CK WU, President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), and Gilberto Mendoza, President of the WBA, a pro boxing body, met in Taipei over the weekend to establish a framework for common projects.

“This was an important moment for two organisations with shared principles and goals on many subjects, said CK Wu.

“As boxing’s only IOC-recognised body, AIBA has well-established education programmes and research across twelve commissions of experts to share with the boxing world. Equally, as we continue to expand our own professional competitions, with Season VII of WSB having recently begun, we can work with WBA to explore new markets and bring even more benefits to our athletes, the fans and the boxing family as a whole.”