Women's Boxing set to become an Olympic sport: AIBA

New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) International Amateur Boxing Association General Secretary Caren Doganeli today exuded confidence that women's boxing will be included in the 2012 London Olympics, following the resumption of talks with the International Olympic Commission.

Last year, the IOC dealt a knock out punch to the Indian hopes for a medal in the Bejing Olympics when it refused to add women boxing in the list of events for the 2008 extravaganza with President Jacques Rogge stating that the sport was ''not competent enough''.

Speaking to UNI, Mr Doganeli said the AIBA and the IOC had stopped discussing the matter for almost a year after the talks broke down two years ago but they are set to resume from November 20 to 27 at the AIBA headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

''In Olympic Games a fixed quota of 10,500 sportspersons are allowed to participate. Out of this 286 are for boxing. Two years ago, we were discussing the proposal to include women's boxing in Olympics with the IOC, for which we demanded some quota for women.

The IOC refused to give us that quota,'' Mr Doganeli said.

''The IOC had a problem with our ex-president Anwar Choudhary.

They stopped our money and refused to discuss anything with us but now that a new AIBA set-up has come into place, the deadlock with IOC is likely to be over,'' he added.

The AIBA General Secretary expressed confidence that the new-look AIBA with Ching-Kuq Wu as President would be able to get the IOC nod for including women's boxing in the 2012 edition of the Olympics.

''I am 100 per cent confident that we are going to solve the problem. Because our new President is an IOC member and 80 per cent of the IOC members approved the new AIBA set-up,'' he said.

''I am sure that 2012 will have women's boxing as an Olympic sport,'' he added.

Mr Doganeli, who is in the capital for the fourth Women's World Boxing Championship starting tomorrow, said the first step towards acheiving the Olympic dream would be the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

''We are in discussion with the Commowealth Organising Committee and I am very confident that women's boxing will find a place in the 2010 edition,'' he said, while addressing the reporters on the eve of the World Championship.

The Championship will see 32 teams comprising 160 boxers will compete in the tournament.

''We have to show that women's boxing is more popular than the men's boxing,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Indian Amateur Boxing Federation Secretary General, PKM Raja also said that the inclusion of women's boxing in the Olympics was high on the priority list.

''AIBA is trying to include women's boxing in Olympics and we are with them in their efforts. I must also add that it is very likely that the sport will be included in the 2010 Commonwealth Games,'' Mr Raja said.

UNI PM DH BD1940