The international Boxing Association (AIBA) are expecting more than 300 boxers to enter for the 2016 AIBA World Women’s Elite Championships and Olympic in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The 9the edition of the tournament runs from May 19th to 27th in the Barys Arena in the Kazakh capital.
Katie Taylor will be aiming for an historic sixth successive title in Central Asia.
Because women’s boxing is restricted to three weight classes – fly, light and middle -, just twelve boxers will leave Astana with tickets for Rio 2016 to complement their medals.
Each of the three weight classes yields four Olympics places, meaning that boxers, to qualify for Rio, must reach their semi-finals and claim at least bronze.
Dr CK Wu, President of AIBA, believes that the Championships will showcase the virtues of the noble art.
He said “The 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships are set to light up Astana, a beautiful city with vast experience of hosting major sporting events, in particular a successful 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Almaty.
“This will be a true showcase of the incredible skill, power and elegance of our sport, determining not only the best women boxers in the world across ten weight categories, but also the first 12 qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.”
Today marks the 100 days to go to the opening bell milestone for the tournament, which will be the last opportunity for the world’s female boxers to qualify for the 31st Olympiad.
Europe’s female boxers will get their first opportunity at the European Rio 2016 qualifiers for men and women in Samsun, Turkey in April.
