AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship scheduled to be held in Istanbul from December 6-19 has been postponed to March 2022. The organizers said whilst AIBA has been working hard to maintain the schedule of this event, the feedback received is that too many National Federations are facing difficult situations and restrictions within their countries. Due to this AIBA Board of Directors in consensus, the Turkish National Federation has decided to postpone the Women's World Championships to March 2022.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aiba-womens-world-boxing-postponed-due-to-rising-covid-19-cases-428039">AIBA women's world boxing postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases</a>

"We are aware that some teams have already started preparations for this event and will be disappointed," AIBA President Umar Kremlev said." However, the safety and wellbeing of our athletes, officials and other stakeholders is priority, and therefore we cannot take the risk to proceed with the event," he added.&nbsp;

AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship scheduled to be held in Istanbul from December 6-19 has been postponed to March 2022. The organizers said whilst AIBA has been working hard to maintain the schedule of this event, the feedback received is that too many National Federations are facing difficult situations and restrictions within their countries.

AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship scheduled to be held in Istanbul from December 6-19 has been postponed to March 2022. The organizers said whilst AIBA has been working hard to maintain the schedule of this event, the feedback received is that too many National Federations are facing difficult situations and restrictions within their countries. Due to this AIBA Board of Directors in consensus, the Turkish National Federation has decided to postpone the Women's World Championships to March 2022. ALSO READ | AIBA women's world boxing postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases "We are aware that some teams have already started preparations for this event and will be disappointed," AIBA President Umar Kremlev said." However, the safety and wellbeing of our athletes, officials and other stakeholders is priority, and therefore we cannot take the risk to proceed with the event," he added.

AIBA's Women's World Boxing Championship postponed, to be held in March 2022

The women's world boxing championship scheduled next month in Turkey could be postponed because of the high COVID-19 case load being registered in the country, a spokesperson of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) told PTI on Tuesday.

The decision to postpone the championships could be announced anytime this week. The tournament was tentatively planned from December 4 to 18 in Istanbul.

"It is highly likely that the world championship would be postponed as many countries have expressed reservations about travelling to Turkey because of the COVID cases there," an AIBA spokesperson told PTI in a telephonic conversation.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics-ioc-to-make-decision-on-weightlifting-and-boxing-as-soon-as-possible-424782">Olympics-IOC to make decision on weightlifting and boxing 'as soon as possible'</a>

"There has already been a round-table on this involving AIBA President Umar Kremlev during which several countries have expressed their apprehension. A decision on this will be announced very soon this week. We don't want a depleted field because of the pandemic," the spokesperson added.

The event could be held in the first half of next year.

Turkey logged 27,824 COVID cases on Monday. The country also reported 187 deaths on the day because of the deadly infection that has wreaked havoc for the past two years. The surge in cases has been attributed to the delta variant of the virus.

India was to be represented by the reigning national champions in all weight categories except for 70kg division in which Olympic bronze-medallist Lovlina Borgohain has been given direct selection.

Her direct selection has been opposed by national gold-winner and world youth champion Arundhati Choudhary, who has taken the matter to Delhi High Court.

However, a postponement would, in all likelihood, force trial bouts across weight categories.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/was-boxing-in-rio-olympics-2016-rigged-independent-probe-reveals-shocking-details-of-bout-manipulation-417377">Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation'</a>

For the first time ever, the AIBA announced a prize money fund of USD 2.4 million for medal winners across 12 weight categories.

The prize for first place has been kept USD 100 000. The silver-medallists would receive USD 50,000 and both bronze winners in each weight category would be richer by USD 25,000.

The world body had also announced that AIBA Extraordinary Congress would be held during the championships, and major reforms of the organisation will be announced.

In July, AIBA increased the women's weight categories from 10 to 12. The new divisions are 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg, and +81kg. The world body recently conducted the men's world championship in Belgrade and even welcomed fans into the arena.&nbsp;

The women's world boxing championship scheduled next month in Turkey could be postponed because of the high COVID-19 case load being registered in the country, a spokesperson of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) told PTI on Tuesday.

The women's world boxing championship scheduled next month in Turkey could be postponed because of the high COVID-19 case load being registered in the country, a spokesperson of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) told PTI on Tuesday. The decision to postpone the championships could be announced anytime this week. The tournament was tentatively planned from December 4 to 18 in Istanbul. "It is highly likely that the world championship would be postponed as many countries have expressed reservations about travelling to Turkey because of the COVID cases there," an AIBA spokesperson told PTI in a telephonic conversation. ALSO READ: Olympics-IOC to make decision on weightlifting and boxing 'as soon as possible' "There has already been a round-table on this involving AIBA President Umar Kremlev during which several countries have expressed their apprehension. A decision on this will be announced very soon this week. We don't want a depleted field because of the pandemic," the spokesperson added. The event could be held in the first half of next year. Turkey logged 27,824 COVID cases on Monday. The country also reported 187 deaths on the day because of the deadly infection that has wreaked havoc for the past two years. The surge in cases has been attributed to the delta variant of the virus. India was to be represented by the reigning national champions in all weight categories except for 70kg division in which Olympic bronze-medallist Lovlina Borgohain has been given direct selection. Her direct selection has been opposed by national gold-winner and world youth champion Arundhati Choudhary, who has taken the matter to Delhi High Court. However, a postponement would, in all likelihood, force trial bouts across weight categories. ALSO READ: Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation' For the first time ever, the AIBA announced a prize money fund of USD 2.4 million for medal winners across 12 weight categories. The prize for first place has been kept USD 100 000. The silver-medallists would receive USD 50,000 and both bronze winners in each weight category would be richer by USD 25,000. The world body had also announced that AIBA Extraordinary Congress would be held during the championships, and major reforms of the organisation will be announced. In July, AIBA increased the women's weight categories from 10 to 12. The new divisions are 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg, and +81kg. The world body recently conducted the men's world championship in Belgrade and even welcomed fans into the arena.

AIBA women's world boxing postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases

Debutant Nishant Dev (71kg) became the seventh Indian boxer to enter the second round of the AIBA men's World Championships with a confident 5-0 triumph over Hungary's Laszlo Kozak here on Wednesday.

Dev will next fight Mauritian Merven Clair, who got a bye in the first round, and his victory maintained the unbeaten run of the country's pugilists at the ongoing showpiece.

However, another debutant Lakshya Chahar (86kg) lost to Korea's Kim Hyeongkyu, a former Asian Games silver-medallist, after the bout had to be stopped in the second round. The action came to an unexpectedly early end when the Indian sustained a forehead cut that opened up despite medical attention.

Chahar won the opening round 4-1 but the judges ruled in favour of the Korean after the bout was stopped.

A visibly irate India High-Performance Director Santiago Nieva was seen expressing his displeasure with the decision, which also left Chahar stunned.

Earlier, Dev's win was a perfect start to the day for the country after Sumit (75kg) and Narender Berwal (+92kg) advanced to the second round of their respective categories with fine victories late Tuesday night.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aiba-world-boxing-cships-deepak-bhoria-sumit-kumar-narender-berwal-maintain-indias-winning-streak-424389">AIBA World Boxing C'ships: Deepak Bhoria, Sumit Kumar, Narender Berwal maintain India's winning streak</a>

Sumit defeated Jamaican Damon O'Neill 5-0 while Narender faced some stiff challenge from Poland's Oskar Safaryan before recording a 4-1 win.

Sumit will face Tajikistan's Abdumalik Boltaev in the next round, while Sierra Leone's Mohamed Kendeh awaits Berwal.

Four others, including Asian medal winners Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) and Deepak Bohria (51kg), had made the second round of their categories earlier in the tournament.

Later this evening, Varinder Singh will take on Karen Tonakanyan of Armenia in his 60kg opening bout. 
Govind Sahani (48kg) will be seen in action Wednesday night.

Sahani will fight it out against Ecuador's Billy Arias in a round of 32 contest. All three are making their debuts at the global showpiece.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-boxing-championship-more-than-600-boxers-ready-from-over-100-countries-419192">World Boxing Championship: More than 600 boxers ready from over 100 countries</a>

With more than 600 boxers from over 100 countries in the fray, a lot of competitors will have to win at least three bouts in some categories to get to the quarterfinal stage.

The gold winners at the showpiece will walk away with a prize money of USD 100,000.

The silver medallists are to be given USD 50,000, and both bronze-medallists will be awarded USD 25,000 each. The total prize purse stands at a whopping USD 2.6 million.

India are being represented by its reigning national champions across weight categories.&nbsp;

Debutant Nishant Dev (71kg) became the seventh Indian boxer to enter the second round of the AIBA men's World Championships with a confident 5-0 triumph over Hungary's Laszlo Kozak here on Wednesday.

Debutant Nishant Dev (71kg) became the seventh Indian boxer to enter the second round of the AIBA men's World Championships with a confident 5-0 triumph over Hungary's Laszlo Kozak here on Wednesday. Dev will next fight Mauritian Merven Clair, who got a bye in the first round, and his victory maintained the unbeaten run of the country's pugilists at the ongoing showpiece. However, another debutant Lakshya Chahar (86kg) lost to Korea's Kim Hyeongkyu, a former Asian Games silver-medallist, after the bout had to be stopped in the second round. The action came to an unexpectedly early end when the Indian sustained a forehead cut that opened up despite medical attention. Chahar won the opening round 4-1 but the judges ruled in favour of the Korean after the bout was stopped. A visibly irate India High-Performance Director Santiago Nieva was seen expressing his displeasure with the decision, which also left Chahar stunned. Earlier, Dev's win was a perfect start to the day for the country after Sumit (75kg) and Narender Berwal (+92kg) advanced to the second round of their respective categories with fine victories late Tuesday night. ALSO READ: AIBA World Boxing C'ships: Deepak Bhoria, Sumit Kumar, Narender Berwal maintain India's winning streak Sumit defeated Jamaican Damon O'Neill 5-0 while Narender faced some stiff challenge from Poland's Oskar Safaryan before recording a 4-1 win. Sumit will face Tajikistan's Abdumalik Boltaev in the next round, while Sierra Leone's Mohamed Kendeh awaits Berwal. Four others, including Asian medal winners Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) and Deepak Bohria (51kg), had made the second round of their categories earlier in the tournament. Later this evening, Varinder Singh will take on Karen Tonakanyan of Armenia in his 60kg opening bout. Govind Sahani (48kg) will be seen in action Wednesday night. Sahani will fight it out against Ecuador's Billy Arias in a round of 32 contest. All three are making their debuts at the global showpiece. ALSO READ: World Boxing Championship: More than 600 boxers ready from over 100 countries With more than 600 boxers from over 100 countries in the fray, a lot of competitors will have to win at least three bouts in some categories to get to the quarterfinal stage. The gold winners at the showpiece will walk away with a prize money of USD 100,000. The silver medallists are to be given USD 50,000, and both bronze-medallists will be awarded USD 25,000 each. The total prize purse stands at a whopping USD 2.6 million. India are being represented by its reigning national champions across weight categories.

AIBA World Boxing C'ships: Nishant Dev enters 2nd round; Lakshya Chahar ousted despite solid show

More than 600 boxers from 105 countries are set to fight it out in the men's world championships to be held in Belgrade, Serbia where gold-winners will walk away with a prize money of USD 100,000.

The tournament gets underway from October 24 and India will be represented by a full-strength squad featuring Asian medal winners such as Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Deepak Kumar (51kg) and Sanjeet (92kg) among others.

"The number of registered boxers is 650 athletes, which is a record in the tournament's history," the International Boxing Association (AIBA) said in a statement.

The competition will be held in 13 weight categories for the first time in AIBA's history.

The weight classes were increased from 10 to 13 in July and the event will feature AIBA world champions, including Andy Cruz Gomez, Roniel Iglesias, Arlen Lopez, Julio La Cruz, as well as Lazaro Alvarez, all from Cuba.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/boxing-world-championships-olympic-silver-medallist-lovlina-borgohain-gets-direct-qualification-418434">Boxing World Championships: Olympic silver medallist Lovlina Borgohain gets direct qualification</a>

Other top names in fray include Saken Bibossinov and Aibek Oralbay (Kazakhstan), and Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov, Hasanboy Dusmatov and Shakhram Giyasov (Uzbekistan) among others.

The silver medallists are to be given USD 50,000, and both bronze-medallists will be awarded USD 25,000 each.

"I believe that this World Championships will start a new chapter in AIBA's history. We have a record number of participants competing in 13 new weight categories, which is a sign of boxing's strength and extensive global development," said AIBA President Umar Kremlev.

"We are providing our athletes with the best opportunities to succeed and we will do our utmost to ensure a fair chance and fair fights for every participant. I am truly looking forward to the opening of the Championships in Belgrade," he added.

More than 600 boxers from 105 countries are set to fight it out in the men's world championships to be held in Belgrade, Serbia where gold-winners will walk away with a prize money of USD 100,000.

More than 600 boxers from 105 countries are set to fight it out in the men's world championships to be held in Belgrade, Serbia where gold-winners will walk away with a prize money of USD 100,000. The tournament gets underway from October 24 and India will be represented by a full-strength squad featuring Asian medal winners such as Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Deepak Kumar (51kg) and Sanjeet (92kg) among others. "The number of registered boxers is 650 athletes, which is a record in the tournament's history," the International Boxing Association (AIBA) said in a statement. The competition will be held in 13 weight categories for the first time in AIBA's history. The weight classes were increased from 10 to 13 in July and the event will feature AIBA world champions, including Andy Cruz Gomez, Roniel Iglesias, Arlen Lopez, Julio La Cruz, as well as Lazaro Alvarez, all from Cuba. ALSO READ: Boxing World Championships: Olympic silver medallist Lovlina Borgohain gets direct qualification Other top names in fray include Saken Bibossinov and Aibek Oralbay (Kazakhstan), and Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov, Hasanboy Dusmatov and Shakhram Giyasov (Uzbekistan) among others. The silver medallists are to be given USD 50,000, and both bronze-medallists will be awarded USD 25,000 each. "I believe that this World Championships will start a new chapter in AIBA's history. We have a record number of participants competing in 13 new weight categories, which is a sign of boxing's strength and extensive global development," said AIBA President Umar Kremlev. "We are providing our athletes with the best opportunities to succeed and we will do our utmost to ensure a fair chance and fair fights for every participant. I am truly looking forward to the opening of the Championships in Belgrade," he added.

World Boxing Championship: More than 600 boxers ready from over 100 countries

An independent investigation commissioned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) found that more than 10 boxing matches at the 2016 Rio Olympics were likely corrupted by officials involved in manipulating bouts.

An independent investigation commissioned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) found that more than 10 boxing matches at the 2016 Rio Olympics were likely corrupted by officials involved in manipulating bouts. Richard McLaren, the head of the independent investigation, revealed that a "system for the manipulation of bouts" by officials existed at the Rio Olympics. The official Twitter handle of AIBA posted: "Prof. McLaren's investigation revealed a system for manipulating results at Rio 2016. Our boxers deserve a fair fight." "AIBA is committed to uncovering the truth and acting on it. AIBA will take all necessary steps to ensure justice for the past, and a fair future," it added. ALSO READ | Manny Pacquiao retires from boxing: From street kid to superstar, here's a look at his career As per the report, the investigators had not been able to ascertain the exact number of manipulated fights, although it could be as high as 11. McLaren said the first of three stages of the investigation looked into the refereeing and judging at Rio, where controversial decisions in certain bouts made the headlines. Prof. McLaren's investigation revealed a system for manipulating results at Rio 2016. Our boxers deserve a fair fight. AIBA is committed to uncovering the truth and acting on it. AIBA will take all necessary steps to ensure justice for the past, and a fair future. pic.twitter.com/qErQYSoL1n — AIBA (@AIBA_Boxing) September 30, 2021 × "The seeds of this were sown years before, starting from at least the Olympic Games of the 21st century through the events around 2011 and London 2012," McLaren told a news conference in Lausanne. "The qualifying competitions along the route to participation in Rio in 2016 were the practise ground for the corruption and manipulation of bouts at Rio. "At the Olympic qualifiers, the manipulation methodology was fine-tuned in anticipation of use in Rio." McLaren said he could not comment on whether the results of manipulated bouts would be overturned, saying that was not up to him to decide as the lead investigator. ALSO READ | Beijing Olympics rules out overseas fans over virus threat "The information we have will be turned over to the boxing federation," he added. "If they think there's justification in declaring that the bout was manipulated then, based on the rules at the time, the decision will have to be made." The report said a comprehensive study suggested at least nine bouts were suspicious while two bouts caused the system to "publicly collapse". Those include the gold medal heavyweight bout between Russia's Evgeny Tischenko and Kazakhstan's Vassily Levit as well as the bantamweight quarter-final between Ireland's Michael Conlon and Russia's bronze medallist Vladimir Nikitin. Tishchenko won the gold medal to a chorus of boos from the crowd on a unanimous points decision even though Levit seemed to have landed more punches. Conlan lost on a controversial split decision to Vladimir Nikitin, leading to the Irishman going on an expletive-laden rant on live television after the loss. Ching-Kuo Wu, then-president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), and then-executive director Karim Bouzidi had been complicit in allowing the corruption to happen, it added. Taiwan's Wu and Frenchman Bouzidi were, McLaren said, "key actors in organising the field of play to allow the manipulation to flourish". (With inputs from agencies)

Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation'

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday officially took over the boxing qualification and competition for next year's Tokyo 2020 Olympics and suspended international boxing federation AIBA following a vote at its session.

The IOC voted unanimously to implement a recommendation of its executive board to oust troubled AIBA from the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/trash-collection-at-tokyo-2020-venue-to-mark-world-environment-day-224570&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi2mtvTgIfjAhXEgI8KHQDJAqgQFjAFegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1NEjOcM2rsKgwzUbO_GHKA">Tokyo 2020 Games</a> over issues surrounding its finances and governance and suspend the body until the issues are resolved.

AIBA has been in turmoil over its finances and governance for years with the federation $16 million in debt and an ongoing bitter battle over the presidency that has split the body internally.

Serbian IOC member Nenad Lalovic, who heads an IOC task force to look into the ties with AIBA, earlier on Wednesday delivered a damning report to the IOC session, saying the association could reach a debt of as much as $29 million.

He also said AIBA had failed to reform at the top of the organisation.

AIBA president Gafur Rahimov suspended himself from the post in March because of his presence on a US&nbsp;Treasury Department sanctions list "for providing material support" to a criminal organisation. The Uzbek strongly denies the allegations.

Rahimov's presence on that sanctions list was extremely damaging to the IOC though he has been replaced on an interim basis by Mohamed Moustahsane.

"It exposes the IOC and its commercial partners to unacceptable reputational, legal and financial risks," Lalovic said.

He said AIBA's debt meant money would not go to sports and the athletes in the future and the organisation still faced problems with refereeing.

START FROM SCRATCH

Among those voting in favour of the exclusion was former AIBA President CK Wu, who was Rahimov's predecessor before stepping down in 2017 after a bitter dispute with his own executive committee.

"I think that today... all members of the AIBA Executive Committee will understand that we need to unite and say goodbye to the old," AIBA executive committee member Umar Kremlev said in a statement.

"Everyone guilty of what brought AIBA to this, must confess, apologise to the boxing community and leave. Our task, as members of the AIBA executive committee, is to unite, to accept early reforms and to start everything from scratch together to bring boxing back to a high level,"&nbsp;Kremlev said.

AIBA largely depends on <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-winner-podiums-to-be-made-of-recycled-plastic-226233&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi2mtvTgIfjAhXEgI8KHQDJAqgQFjAGegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2thyF0jYe2e9UPZqjzJWLg">Olympic Games</a> revenues to survive between Games and has started letting people go as a result of its Olympic exclusion.

The sport's governing body will discuss the IOC decision at its executive committee meeting on Thursday.

Japanese IOC member Morinari Watanabe, president of the international gymnastics federation, heads the task force to organise qualifiers and the Tokyo Games competition.

The IOC will almost treble the number of women boxers in Tokyo to 100, up from 36 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Men's numbers will be reduced from 250 to 186 with a total of 286 boxers remaining identical from Rio.

There will be four regional qualifiers - Africa, Europe, Asia/Oceania and Americas - between January and April 2020 while hosts Japan can directly qualify four men and two women.

A final Olympic qualifying event will probably be held in May next year to allow athletes a second chance to qualify, the IOC has said.

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday officially took over the boxing qualification and competition for next year's Tokyo 2020 Olympics and suspended international boxing federation AIBA following a vote at its session.

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday officially took over the boxing qualification and competition for next year's Tokyo 2020 Olympics and suspended international boxing federation AIBA following a vote at its session. The IOC voted unanimously to implement a recommendation of its executive board to oust troubled AIBA from the Tokyo 2020 Games over issues surrounding its finances and governance and suspend the body until the issues are resolved. AIBA has been in turmoil over its finances and governance for years with the federation $16 million in debt and an ongoing bitter battle over the presidency that has split the body internally. Serbian IOC member Nenad Lalovic, who heads an IOC task force to look into the ties with AIBA, earlier on Wednesday delivered a damning report to the IOC session, saying the association could reach a debt of as much as $29 million. He also said AIBA had failed to reform at the top of the organisation. AIBA president Gafur Rahimov suspended himself from the post in March because of his presence on a US Treasury Department sanctions list "for providing material support" to a criminal organisation. The Uzbek strongly denies the allegations. Rahimov's presence on that sanctions list was extremely damaging to the IOC though he has been replaced on an interim basis by Mohamed Moustahsane. "It exposes the IOC and its commercial partners to unacceptable reputational, legal and financial risks," Lalovic said. He said AIBA's debt meant money would not go to sports and the athletes in the future and the organisation still faced problems with refereeing. START FROM SCRATCH Among those voting in favour of the exclusion was former AIBA President CK Wu, who was Rahimov's predecessor before stepping down in 2017 after a bitter dispute with his own executive committee. "I think that today... all members of the AIBA Executive Committee will understand that we need to unite and say goodbye to the old," AIBA executive committee member Umar Kremlev said in a statement. "Everyone guilty of what brought AIBA to this, must confess, apologise to the boxing community and leave. Our task, as members of the AIBA executive committee, is to unite, to accept early reforms and to start everything from scratch together to bring boxing back to a high level," Kremlev said. AIBA largely depends on Olympic Games revenues to survive between Games and has started letting people go as a result of its Olympic exclusion. The sport's governing body will discuss the IOC decision at its executive committee meeting on Thursday. Japanese IOC member Morinari Watanabe, president of the international gymnastics federation, heads the task force to organise qualifiers and the Tokyo Games competition. The IOC will almost treble the number of women boxers in Tokyo to 100, up from 36 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. Men's numbers will be reduced from 250 to 186 with a total of 286 boxers remaining identical from Rio. There will be four regional qualifiers - Africa, Europe, Asia/Oceania and Americas - between January and April 2020 while hosts Japan can directly qualify four men and two women. A final Olympic qualifying event will probably be held in May next year to allow athletes a second chance to qualify, the IOC has said.

International Olympic Committee approves exclusion of boxing body from Tokyo 2020 Games

Six-time World Boxing Champion MC Mary Kom on Thursday added another feather to her illustrious cap by attaining number one position in the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest world rankings. &nbsp;

Kom became the most successful boxer in world championships' history after she claimed the 48kg category top honours in New Delhi in November last year.&nbsp;

In the rankings put out by AIBA, Mary Kom is placed top of the charts in the weight division with 1700 points.&nbsp;

She will have to jump to 51kg in pursuit of her 2020 Olympic dream as 48kg is not yet included in the Games roster.&nbsp;

In 2018, Mary Kom picked up gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and a tournament in Poland. She also won a silver at the prestigious Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria. 
&nbsp;

Six-time World Boxing Champion MC Mary Kom on Thursday added another feather to her illustrious cap by attaining number one position in the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest world rankings.

Six-time World Boxing Champion MC Mary Kom on Thursday added another feather to her illustrious cap by attaining number one position in the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest world rankings. Kom became the most successful boxer in world championships' history after she claimed the 48kg category top honours in New Delhi in November last year. In the rankings put out by AIBA, Mary Kom is placed top of the charts in the weight division with 1700 points. She will have to jump to 51kg in pursuit of her 2020 Olympic dream as 48kg is not yet included in the Games roster. In 2018, Mary Kom picked up gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and a tournament in Poland. She also won a silver at the prestigious Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria.

Mary Kom becomes new world No.1 in AIBA rankings

Women&nbsp;boxers&nbsp;training for a world championship starting in the Indian capital this week are wearing surgical masks, scarves and even T-shirts across their mouths as the level of air pollution rises several times beyond the safe limit.

The AIBA&nbsp;Women's World Boxing Championships is taking place in an indoor stadium from Thursday through to November 24 but teams are complaining about a toxic smog hanging over the city, caused by seasonal burning of crop stubble and emissions from vehicles and industry.

The weather, with no wind to blow the pollution away, has aggravated the problem in one of the world's most polluted cities.

"My family is worried. We know it is not good for our body," said 27-year old Bulgarian Stanimira Petrova, a gold-medallist in the bantamweight category in the championships in 2014.

"It's difficult. I wear a scarf but I have to get accustomed."

On Tuesday, the level of deadly particulate matter PM 2.5 that lodge deep in the lungs was at 407, about eight times the safe limit, according to a reading by the pollution control board.

Authorities have banned the entry of heavy vehicles into the city and ordered construction work to stop and sprinklers to keep down the dust. But the air quality remains in the severe zone.

Seven European&nbsp;boxers&nbsp;whom Reuters spoke to complained that the air left a bad taste and irritated their eyes.

Their coaches said they were advised about the poor air but organisers had not given them any protective gear.

Ajay Singh, president of the Boxing Federation of India, said Delhi's air quality was improving as the effects of last week's Hindu festival of Diwali - when tens of thousands of firecrackers are let off, clogging the air with smoke - were wearing off.

"I'm confident there will not be any problems faced by the&nbsp;boxers&nbsp;especially with the championship being held indoors. We have all the necessary standards maintained and precautions taken."

Indian Olympic flyweight bronze medallist MC&nbsp;Mary Kom is among those taking part.
<img alt="France's Mona Mestiaen removes a mask after her practice session ahead of AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi." data-caption="France's Mona&lt;g class=&quot;gr_ gr_91 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep&quot; data-gr-id=&quot;91&quot; id=&quot;91&quot;&gt;.&lt;g class=&quot;gr_ gr_90 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace&quot; data-gr-id=&quot;90&quot; id=&quot;90&quot;&gt;Mestiaen&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt; removes a mask after her practice session ahead of AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi," data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c9df6c04-39f9-40bb-9d72-6862f0aefa8e" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/women%20boxer.jpg" /><img alt="Swedish boxing coach Daniel Nash displays a medical face mask." data-caption="Swedish boxing coach Daniel Nash displays a medical face mask." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="935d9986-0860-4469-a447-c2f81037a323" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/boxing.jpg" />
Worried&nbsp;Parents

French coach Anthony Veniant said he had asked for the tournament to be moved out of Delhi but his request was turned down.

"We feel the air is no good. Some of the parents of these players are worried and we tell our players to restrict their time outside," Veniant said.

Prolonged exposure to high levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10, another pollutant, leads to respiratory illnesses. Doctors in Delhi have reported an increase in the number of patients with respiratory problems.

Jay Kowli, secretary general of the Boxing Federation of India, said the air quality was being monitored but ruled out any change of location.

"Shifting the venue is impossible. Delhi has the best sports facilities in the country," Kowli said.

Teams have been hard at training this week.

Daniel Nash, the coach for the Swedish team, said pollution was a problem, but he had asked the&nbsp;boxers&nbsp;to focus on the competition.

"I'm telling my players to not let this issue affect their game," Nash said.

Contestants just have to deal with it, said Abdul Fkiri, the coach of the Dutch team.

Women boxers training for a world championship starting in the Indian capital this week are wearing surgical masks, scarves and even T-shirts across their mouths as the level of air pollution rises several times beyond the safe limit.

Women boxers training for a world championship starting in the Indian capital this week are wearing surgical masks, scarves and even T-shirts across their mouths as the level of air pollution rises several times beyond the safe limit. The AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships is taking place in an indoor stadium from Thursday through to November 24 but teams are complaining about a toxic smog hanging over the city, caused by seasonal burning of crop stubble and emissions from vehicles and industry. The weather, with no wind to blow the pollution away, has aggravated the problem in one of the world's most polluted cities. "My family is worried. We know it is not good for our body," said 27-year old Bulgarian Stanimira Petrova, a gold-medallist in the bantamweight category in the championships in 2014. "It's difficult. I wear a scarf but I have to get accustomed." On Tuesday, the level of deadly particulate matter PM 2.5 that lodge deep in the lungs was at 407, about eight times the safe limit, according to a reading by the pollution control board. Authorities have banned the entry of heavy vehicles into the city and ordered construction work to stop and sprinklers to keep down the dust. But the air quality remains in the severe zone. Seven European boxers whom Reuters spoke to complained that the air left a bad taste and irritated their eyes. Their coaches said they were advised about the poor air but organisers had not given them any protective gear. Ajay Singh, president of the Boxing Federation of India, said Delhi's air quality was improving as the effects of last week's Hindu festival of Diwali - when tens of thousands of firecrackers are let off, clogging the air with smoke - were wearing off. "I'm confident there will not be any problems faced by the boxers especially with the championship being held indoors. We have all the necessary standards maintained and precautions taken." Indian Olympic flyweight bronze medallist MC Mary Kom is among those taking part. Worried Parents French coach Anthony Veniant said he had asked for the tournament to be moved out of Delhi but his request was turned down. "We feel the air is no good. Some of the parents of these players are worried and we tell our players to restrict their time outside," Veniant said. Prolonged exposure to high levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10, another pollutant, leads to respiratory illnesses. Doctors in Delhi have reported an increase in the number of patients with respiratory problems. Jay Kowli, secretary general of the Boxing Federation of India, said the air quality was being monitored but ruled out any change of location. "Shifting the venue is impossible. Delhi has the best sports facilities in the country," Kowli said. Teams have been hard at training this week. Daniel Nash, the coach for the Swedish team, said pollution was a problem, but he had asked the boxers to focus on the competition. "I'm telling my players to not let this issue affect their game," Nash said. Contestants just have to deal with it, said Abdul Fkiri, the coach of the Dutch team.

KO'd: At World Championships, women boxers wear masks to beat Delhi pollution

India will return to the International Boxing Association&#39;s (AIBA) semi-professional World Series of Boxing (WSB) in February next year with the country finding a place in the Asian group for the event&#39;s eighth season.

The yet-to-be-named franchise, which would be fully owned by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), will replace Mumbai Fighters, the team that had withdrawn in 2012 due to lack of support from the national body at that time.

The WSB&#39;s format will follow the three-group, regional regular season and global play-offs, with the Croatian Knights joining for qualification from Group Europe, while Group Asia having a team from India for the first time, the AIBA said in a statement.

&quot;In Season VIII, we can now go even further, with India&#39;s vast and growing appetite for boxing adding a new dimension to the 2018 competition and the Croatian Knights bringing with them all of that great nation&#39;s boxing history,&quot; said AIBA interim president Franco Falcinelli.

In the Asian group the Astana Arlans will face China Dragons, the all-new India team and Patriot Boxing Team from Russia in Group Asia.

The Croatian Knights will begin their first season against the British Lionhearts, France Fighting Roosters and Italia Thunder in Group Europe.

In Group Americas, Season VII Finalists Cuba Domadores will be looking to equal the Arlans&#39; record and win a third title of their own, but face stiff competition from Colombia Heroicos and Venezuela Caciques.

Among the boxers taking part will be a host of champions and medallists from the 2017 AIBA World Championships in Hamburg.

The 11 teams will be able to recruit available national and international boxers to their squads. WSB has now closed its foreign boxer registrations for Season VIII, with 196 foreign entries confirmed from 42 different countries.

Boxers at the beginning of their professional careers are welcome to participate, the AIBA stated.

The deadline for teams to recruit from the available list will be mid-January.&nbsp;

The yet-to-be-named franchise will be fully owned by the Boxing Federation of India

India will return to the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) semi-professional World Series of Boxing (WSB) in February next year with the country finding a place in the Asian group for the event's eighth season. The yet-to-be-named franchise, which would be fully owned by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), will replace Mumbai Fighters, the team that had withdrawn in 2012 due to lack of support from the national body at that time. The WSB's format will follow the three-group, regional regular season and global play-offs, with the Croatian Knights joining for qualification from Group Europe, while Group Asia having a team from India for the first time, the AIBA said in a statement. "In Season VIII, we can now go even further, with India's vast and growing appetite for boxing adding a new dimension to the 2018 competition and the Croatian Knights bringing with them all of that great nation's boxing history," said AIBA interim president Franco Falcinelli. In the Asian group the Astana Arlans will face China Dragons, the all-new India team and Patriot Boxing Team from Russia in Group Asia. The Croatian Knights will begin their first season against the British Lionhearts, France Fighting Roosters and Italia Thunder in Group Europe. In Group Americas, Season VII Finalists Cuba Domadores will be looking to equal the Arlans' record and win a third title of their own, but face stiff competition from Colombia Heroicos and Venezuela Caciques. Among the boxers taking part will be a host of champions and medallists from the 2017 AIBA World Championships in Hamburg. The 11 teams will be able to recruit available national and international boxers to their squads. WSB has now closed its foreign boxer registrations for Season VIII, with 196 foreign entries confirmed from 42 different countries. Boxers at the beginning of their professional careers are welcome to participate, the AIBA stated. The deadline for teams to recruit from the available list will be mid-January.

India back in World Series of Boxing from February

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