Joshua Clottey and Manny Pacquiao
It is now a certainty that professional boxers would be allowed to fight in Rio Olympics if they want to, regarded they meet the requirement of their respective national boxing federations.
The decision was taken today as Ching-Kuo Wu, President of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and a member of the IOC Executive accepted the proposal for the inclusion of professional boxers at the Olympics.
Wu, in an interview with the media, said ” at the end of June and beginning of July, qualification tournaments are already planned. The important thing is that the professionals agree with the national federations and follow their rules”.
This means that there would be an availability 250 slots for all boxers, thus 187 for amateurs boxers and 63 for professionals and there also those of the APB and World series who have their slots.
The scenario of seeing Manny Pacquaio and Vladimir Klitscho at the Olympics is now a reality as both boxers have expressed their interest in partaking in the mega sporting event.
