Pro boxers will be stripped of titles if they go to Rio, warns IBF
The International Boxing Federation(IBF) has said that professional boxers who compete at the Rio Olympics will be stripped of their titles and non-title holders will be removed from IBF ratings for one year. Earlier, the AIBA had approved a rule change to allow professionals to box at the Olympics.
The IBF had said that there was a safety risk in professionals facing amateurs in the ring, reported BBC. It also added that if professionals competed at the Rio Olympics, it would be considered unsportsmanlike behaviour and they would be sanctioned accordingly.
"We felt it was important for the IBF to take a stance due to safety concerns, as part of our commitment to this sport is to promote the health and well-being of the boxers," bbc.com reported IBF President Daryl Peoples as saying.
Anthony Joshua, James DeGale, Kell Brook of Britain, and Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan are among the current IBF title holders, but they are unlikely to compete at Rio. In early June, AIBA had overwhelmingly voted to let top professional boxers compete at the Rio Olympics, opening the gates for interested boxers like Vijender Singh to take a shot at qualifying. The AIBA had said that professionals could participate in Rio through a qualifying event to be held in Venezuela. This move from the IBF though, is set to discourage most, if not all, of them.
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