The world’s top male and female boxers are gearing up for three finals tilts at qualifying for Rio 2016.The journey that began early in 2015 with 286 places up for grabs – in reality that’s 272 places as the host nation takes six berths and eight are handed out in invitations – has three qualifiers remaining in May, June and July.

The first of these will be next month at the 9th AIBA World Women’s Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, followed by a final world qualifier (for men) in Baku, Azerbaijan in June and a World Series of Boxing (WSB) versus AIBA Pro Boxing (AIBA) tournament in late June or early July at a host city to be confirmed.

201 athletes are over the line so far, with some, including Ireland’s Michael Conlan, actually qualifying twice. Conlan initially booked a ticket through the World Series of Boxing (WSB) and then made the qualification standard again at the World Men’s Championships in Doha, Qatar last year after becoming the first Irish male boxer to claim an AIBA World Elite title. The World place prevailed and the WSB spot earned by Conlan kicked back to the next best placed WSB boxer.

Conlan, Paddy Barnes, who will lead out Team Ireland in Rio, Brendan Irvine, David Oliver Joyce, Steven Donnelly and Joe Ward will represent Irish boxing at the 31st Olympiad.

Team Ireland will be aiming for seven further places in the remaining qualifiers in the women’s flyweight, lightweight and middleweight classes and the men’s light- welterweight, middleweight, heavyweight and super-heavyweight classes.

The WSB versus APB clash represents journey’s end as 278 will have qualified, with the final eight places to be handed out in invitations.

However, if Irish boxing qualifies a light-welter in Baku the WSB versus APB tournament will be of academic interest to the sport in this country.

77 places are up for grabs in the three remaining qualifiers. 286 boxers – 250 men and 36 women – compete at each Olympics.

Remaining qualifiers

World Women’s Elite Championships May 19/17 Astana, Kazakhstan

Total Olympic Places: 12
51kg (Flyweight) 4
60kg (Lightweight) 4
75kg (Middleweight) 4

World Tournament (for men) June 14/28 Baku, Azerbaijan

Total Olympic Places: 39
Light-fly: 2
Fly: 5
Bantam: 5
Lightweight: 5
Light-welter: 5
Welter: 5
Middle: 5
Light-heavy: 5
Heavy: 1
Super-heavy: 1

World Series of Boxing v AIBA Pro Boxing (dates and host city to be decided for June or July)

Total Olympic places: 26
Light-fly: 3
Fly: 3
Bantam: 3
Lightweight: 3
Light-welter: 3
Welter: 3
Middle: 3
Light-heavy: 3
Heavy: 1
Super-heavy: 1

Tripartite Commission (Invitation places)

Total Olympics places: 8 (5 for men and 3 for women)

Irish boxers qualified

Women
51kg (Flyweight) –
60kg (Lightweight –
75kg (Middleweight) –
Men
49kg (Light-flyweight) – Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
52kg (Flyweight) – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
56kg (Bantamweight) – Michael Conlan (Clonard)
60kg (Lightweight) – David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy & AIBA Pro Boxing)
64kg (Light-welterweight) –
69kg (Welterweight) – Steven Donnelly (All Saints)
75kg (Middleweight) –
81kg (Light-heavyweight) – Joe Ward (Moate & AIBA Pro Boxing)
91kg (Heavyweight) –
91+kg (Super-heavyweight) –

Boxers qualified per nation

11 – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.
10 – China, Cuba,
9 – Britain, Morocco, Russia,
8 – Azerbaijan,
7 – Algeria, Brazil (five hosts places)
6 – France, Ireland, United States,
5 – Argentina, Italy, Turkey,
4 – Armenia, Cameroon, Egypt, Mongolia, Venezuela.
3 – Australia, Canada, Germany Colombia, Mexico, Thailand
2 – Croatia, Lithuania, Mauritius, Namibia, Philippines, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda,
1 – Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Holland, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Nigeria, Cape Verde Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Seychelles, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, Virgin Islands.

MALE BOXERS QUALIFIED SO FAR

LIGHT-FLYWEIGHT
Paddy Barnes (Ireland)
Patrick Lourengo (Brazil) (Host place)
Bin Lyu (China)
Birzhan Zhakypov (Kazakhstan)
Yoahnys Argilago (Cuba)
Vasiliy Egorov (Russia)
Yubergen Martinez (Colombia)
Nico Hernandez (USA)
Simplique Fotchala (Cameroon)
Matias Hamunyela (Namibia)
Sibusiso Bandla (South Africa)
Khasanbay Dusmatov (Uzbekistan)
Rogen Ladon (Philippines)
Gankhuyag Gan-Erdene (Mongolia)
Galal Yafai (Britain)
Artur Hovhannisyan (Armenia)
Manuel Cappai (Italy).

FLYWEIGHT
Brendan Irvine (Ireland)
Juliao Neto (Brazil) (Host place)
Yosbany Veitta (Cuba)
Jeyvier Jesus Cintron (Puerto Rico)
Misha Aloyan (Russia)
Elias Emigdion (Mexico)
Achraf Kharroubi (Morocco)
Elvin Mamishzada (Azerbaijan)
Fernando Martinez (Argentina)
Leonel de los Santos (Dominican Republic)
Mohamed Flissi (Algeria)
Sikho Nqothole (South Africa)
Ronald Serugo (Uganda)
Shahobiddin Zoirov (Uzbekistan)
Hu Jianguan (China)
Olzhas Sattibayev (Kazakhstan)
Muhammad Ali (Britain)
Narek Abgaryan (Armenia)

BANTAMWEIGHT
Michael Conlan (Ireland)
Robenilson de Jesus (Brazil) (Host place)
Vladimir Nikitin (Russia)
Andy Cruz (Cuba)
Khedafi Djelkhir (France)
Jiawei Zhang (China)
Muradzhon Akhmadaliyev (Uzbekistan)
Dmitriy Asanov (Belarus)
Shakur Stevenson (USA)
Alberto Melian (Argentina)
Bilel M’Hamdi (Tunisia)
Suntele Inkulukeko (Lesotho)
Mohamed Hamout (Morocco)
Chatchai Butdee (Thailand)
Shiva Thapa (India)
Kairat Eraliyev (Kazakhstan)
Javid Chalabiyev (Azerbaijan)
Qais Ashfaq (Britain)
Aram Avagyan (Armenia).

LIGHTWEIGHT
David Oliver Joyce (Ireland)
Lazaro Alvarez (Cuba)
Albert Selimov (Azerbaijan)
Berik Abdrakhmanov (Kazakhstan)
Adlan Abdurashidov (Russia)
Carlos Balderas (USA)
Robson Conceicao (Brazil)
Hurshid Tojibaev (Uzbekistan)
Luis Cabrera (Venezuela)
Teofimo Lopez (Honduras)
Ignacio Perrin (Argentina)
Abdel al Mahmoud (Egypt)
Reda Benbaziz (Algeria)
Andrique Allisop (Seychelles)
Dorjnyambuu Otgondalai (Mongolia)
Charlie Suarez (Philippines)
Daisuke Narimatsu (Japan)
Sofiane Oumiha (France)
Joe Cordina (Britain)

LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHT
Joedison Torres (Brazil) (Host place)
Yasnier Toledo Lopez (Cuba)
Raul Curiel Garcia (Mexico)
Abdelkader Chadi (Algeria)
Vitaly Dunaytsev (Russia)
Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (Uzbekistan)
Artem Harutyunan (Germany)
Wuttichai Masuk (Thailand)
Artur Biarslanov (Canada)
Luis Arcon (Venezuela)
Junias Jonas (Namibia)
Hamza el Barbari (Morocco)
Babou Mahaman Smaila (Cameroon)
Abylaykhan Zhusupov (Kazakhstan)
Battarsukh Chinzorig (Mongolia)
Hu Qianxun (China)
Lorenzo Sotomayor (Azerbaijan)
Evaldas Petrauskas (Lithuania)
Batuhan Gozgec (Turkey).

WELTERWEIGHT
Steven Donnelly (Ireland)
Mohammed Rabii (Morocco)
Parviz Baghirov (Azerbaijan)
Wei Liu (China)
Onur Sipal (Turkey)
Daniyar Yeleussinov (Kazakhstan)
Andrey Zamkovoy (Russia)
Rosniel Iglesias (Cuba)
Gabriel Maestre (Venezuela)
Alberto Palmeta (Argentina)
Rayton Nduku Okwiri (Cameroon)
Walid Sedik Mohamed (Egypt)
Zohir Kadache (Algeria)
Shakhram Giyasov (Uzbekistan)
Sailom Ardee (Thailand)
Tuvshinbat Byamba (Mongolia)
Eimantas Stanionis (Lithuania)
Vincenzo Mangiacapre (Italy)
Vladimir Margaryan (Armenia)

MIDDLEWEIGHT
Arlen Lopez (Cuba)
Jorge Luis Vivas, Colombia
Bektemir Melikuziyev (Uzbekistan)
Hossam Bakr Abdin (Egypt)
Ilyas Abbadi (Algeria)
Artem Chebotarev (Russia)
Tomasz Jablonski (Poland)
Adem Kilicci (Turkey)
Charles Conwell (USA)
Misael Rodriguez (Mexico)
Dieudonne Seyi Ntsengue (Cameroon)
Merven Clair (Mauritius)
Said Harnouf (Morocco)
Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (Kazakhstan)
Zhao Minggang (China)
Daniel Lewis (Australia)
Christian Mbilli Assomo (France)
Zoltan Harcsa (Hungary)
Anthony Fowler (Britain)

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT
Joe Ward (Ireland)
Michel Borges (Brazil) (Host place)
Valentino Manfredonia (Italy)
Julio Cesar De La Cruz (Cuba)
Mathieu Bauderlique (France)
Ehsan Rouzbahani (Iran)
Hrvoje Sep (Croatia)
Carlos Mina (Ecuador)
Albert Ramirez (Venezuela)
Abdelhafid Benchebla (Algeria)
Abderrahmane Salah Araby (Egypt)
Kennedy Katende (Uganda)
Elshod Rasulov (Uzbekistan)
Adilbek Niyazimbetov (Kazakhstan)
Erkin Adylbekuulu (Kyrgyzstan)
Joshua Buatsi (Britain)
Peter Mullenberg (Holland)
Nadir Mehmet Unal (Turkey).

HEAVYWEIGHT
Juan Nogueira (Brazil)
Vassiliy Levit (Kazakhstan)
David Graf (Germany)
Clemente Russo (Italy)
Evgeny Tishchenko (Russia)
Erislandy Savon (Cuba)
Yamil Peralta (Argentina)
James Kennedy St. Pierre (Mauritius)
Chouaib Bouloudinat (Algeria)
Hassan Chagtemi (Tunisia)
Rustam Tulaganov (Uzbekistan)
Yu Fengkai (China)
Jason Whateley (Australia)
Lawrence Okolie (Britain)
Paul Omba Biongolo (France)
Abdulkadir Abdullayev (Azerbaijan)

SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT
Filip Hrgovic (Croatia)
Mihai Nistor (Romania)
Erik Pfeifer (Germany)
Tony Yoka (France)
Leinier Perot (Cuba)
Nigel Paul (Trinidad)
Clayton Laurent (Virgin Islands)
Ajagba Efe (Nigeria)
Mohamed Arjaoui (Morocco)
Davilson Dos Santos Morais (Cape Verde)
Ivan Dychko (Kazakhstan)
Bakhodyr Zhololov (Uzbekistan)
Hussein Eshaish Iashaish (Jordan)
Joe Joyce (Britain)
Mahammadrasul Majidov (Azerbaijan)
Ali Eren Demirezen (Turkey).

FEMALE BOXERS QUALIFIED SO FAR

FLYWEIGHT
Mandy Bujold (Canada)
Ingrid Valencia (Colombia)
Zohra Ezzahraoui (Morocco)
Ren Cancan (China)
Yodgor Mirzoyeva (Uzbekistan)
Nicola Adams (Britain)
Stanimira Petrova (Bulgaria).

LIGHTWEIGHT
Mikaela Mayer (USA)
Adriana Araujo (Brazil) (Host place)
Hasna Lachgar (Morocco)
Yin Junhua (China)
Shelley Watts (Australia)
Yana Alekseevna (Azerbaijan)
Irma Testa (Italy).

MIDDLEWEIGHT
Claressa Shields (USA)
Ariane Fortin (Canada)
Khadija Mardi (Morocco)
Li Qian (China)
Dariga Shakimova (Kazakhstan)
Anna Laurell (Sweden)
Laroslava Lakushina (Russia).