(JAN 16) First, we would
like to thank WBAN for your engagement with and passionate
advocacy for the development of Women Boxing, in particular with
the International Boxing Association (AIBA).We very much value
your contribution to and support for Women Boxing.
The issues that you address in your two articles [Part
I] [Part 2]
are all extremely important ones for AIBA and key for the sport
of boxing as a whole. At the same time, many of the issues that
you have raised in your two recent articles are both large and
multifaceted – and so resolving them to everyone’s complete
satisfaction may take a little bit longer then we would all
prefer. For AIBA, however, our priority is to maintain a
constant pressure for change and so keep the development of
Women Boxing moving forward as fast as possible.
Women Boxing at the Olympic Games
The spirit and values of the Olympic Movement include the
principle of equality between men and women. However, as with
many fundamental reforms of a large organization, this ultimate
goal can only be reached by taking steady steps forward, rather
than in one single large leap.
AIBA’s first step was to ensure that Women Boxing was officially
included on the Olympic Program. This was successfully achieved
by AIBA in August 2009, with the result that a total of 36 Women
Boxers were able to make their debut at the London 2012 Olympic
Games in three weight categories.
AIBA’s goal is to receive additional weight categories for the
Women Boxing Program and to move from 3 to 5 weight categories
in 2020. Achieving thiswill also be dependent on the success of
the Women Boxing competitions in Rio 2016.
Women Boxing at the Multi-Sports
Games
Following the IOC’s decision to include Women Boxing in the
Olympic Program, the African Games, Asian Games and Pan American
Games also adopted Women Boxing programs with 3 weight
categories. Subsequently, Women Boxing also entered the
Commonwealth Games for the first time in Glasgow last year and,
recently, the European Games 2015 even increased the weight
categories in their own program to 5.
Seeding at Jeju 2014 World Championships
Under AIBA guidelines ranking points for seeding in competitions
are accrued over a two year rolling period which would usually
include two World Championships however there was more than two
years between the 2012 and 2014 World Championships which meant
that the seeding system could not be properly applied. As the
guidelines have now been amended this will not be an issue in
2016 and the Women World Championships in 2016 which is also the
Olympic Qualifying Event will use the seeding system.
Women Boxers in Future WSB and APB
AIBA plans to organise first WSB Women Exhibition competitions
this year and to officially include two weight categories as
from next season. For APB, as soon as the removal of headguards
for women is officially implemented, APB Women boxing can be
launched soon afterwards. We will announce further developments
regarding headguards in Women Boxing shortly.
Women Boxer clothes
Under AIBA rules, Women Boxers have freedom of choice between
wearing either skirts or shorts. AIBA has no plans at all to
change this rule.
WBAN would like to sincerely thank the AIBA for
taking the time to respond to the issues that we talked about in
the previous articles. If the boxing community would like
to email us with their thoughts from what has been published,
you can contact us at
wban100@aol.com. [Part
I] [Part 2]
