(ATR) The 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships are underway in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The eight-day competition, which features 285 boxers from 64 countries, began with preliminary rounds on May 19.
Among the winners on day one was India’s Mary Kom, one of the biggest names in women’s boxing. Kom, the flyweight bronze medalist at London 2012, is chasing a record sixth world title.
A total of 12 spots for Rio 2016 are up for grabs in Astana. Reaching the semifinals in the Olympic categories of flyweight, lightweight and middleweight guarantees a place in Rio. It’s safe to say there will be even more pressure than usual on those who face off in the quarterfinals on May 24.
One of those still on the outside looking in is another five-time world champion. Ireland’s Katie Taylor doesn't open her account in the lightweight division until Saturday May 21.
This is the ninth edition of the competition. The inaugural championships in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 2001 featured 125 boxers from 30 countries. A record 305 boxers from 70 countries competed at the 2012 Championships in Qinhuangdao, China. Those figures were boosted by the chance to qualify for the London Olympics, the first Games to include women’s boxing.
Written by Gerard Farek
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