2024-05-02 16:26:06
Text: Editorial Cuba Noticias 360
The International Olympic Committee will maintain Buenos Aires as the headquarters of the pre-Olympic boxing tournament of the Americas and has set the date of May 10 to 16 for its celebration.
Cuba News 360 learned that this decision of the IOC Task Force for Boxing was well received at the “headquarters” of the Cuban preselection in Wajay because “at least it gives certainty in the preparation planning,” commented a source close to the team.
Cuba will send its entire eight-man team and will again be absent from the women’s tournament at the Olympic Games.
The Cuban coaches have several competitions abroad on their agenda before this Pre-Olympic, but everything will depend on the epidemiological situation due to Covid-19 and the travel restrictions prevailing in each country.
Buenos Aires was the original 2020 venue for the beginning of the year but was postponed like the entire sports calendar since March due to the pandemic, including the Tokyo Olympics.
Due to the health crisis in Argentina, Buenos Aires was ruled out and until a few days ago the IOC was looking for alternatives from another city until after contacts with the local sports leadership, it rescued the South American headquarters.
The IOC Working Group replaces the International Boxing Association (AIBA) sanctioned by the IOC in the organization of the qualifying process and the Olympic tournament until it implements reforms that convince the Olympic body.
The European Olympic Qualifier, initially scheduled to take place in London in April 2021, has now been delayed until June 2021, due to serious outbreaks. The tournament had started in London last year but was interrupted midway when Covid cases appeared among boxers and coaches. Several fighters had already secured their qualification.
The new location and dates for the resumption will be confirmed as soon as possible, the IOC said in a statement. The Africa and Asia/Oceania Pre-Olympics were completed in 2020.
THE IOC also announced that the last World Olympic Qualifier, scheduled to take place in Paris in June 2021, will not take place. The 53 quota places (32 men and 21 women) that were planned to be assigned in that contest will be assigned equally in the four regions (Africa, America, Asia / Oceania and Europe) in all weight categories based on rankings between the best classified even without Olympic tickets by then in each weight. “This ensures a new reallocation route, which is based on international results recorded over the last four years (2017-2021), including, among others, Olympic qualification events” reported the IOC Task Force.