AIBA confident of women's boxing in 2012 Olympics

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The president of the International Amateur Boxing Association is confident that women's boxing will be approved for the 2012 London Olympics.

AIBA has been lobbying to put women's boxing in the games since 2005 and is encouraged by support from International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge this week.

"Women's boxing has grown significantly since AIBA put forward it's original proposal four years ago and we believe women's boxing now deserves the opportunity to participate in the greatest multi-sport event in the world," AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu said in a statement Friday

Wu said the AIBA "is still working very closely with the IOC" to determine how women's boxing can be included in the Olympics.

The IOC would vote on the proposal at its session in Copenhagen in October.

On Wednesday, Rogge told The Irish Times during a visit to Dublin that conditions were right for women's boxing to be admitted to the games, after a number of issues related to the initial application four years ago were resolved.

"So conditions are totally different. The timing is right, because the sport has evolved a lot, both in universality, and also the homogeneity within each weight bracket," Rogge said.

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