European Olympic boxing qualifiers in London were suspended on Monday over coronavirus fears despite an earlier decision to hold the event ...
European Olympic boxing qualifiers in London were suspended on Monday over coronavirus fears despite an earlier decision to hold the event behind closed doors.
The Boxing Road to Tokyo event, which started on Saturday and was scheduled to run until March 24, will be stopped after the evening session.
Subsequent Americas and final world qualifiers, scheduled to take place in May, have also been put on ice.
The London competition featured around 350 male and female boxers from dozens of nations and was the first opportunity for boxers from Europe to qualify for Tokyo 2020.
The IOC (International Olympic Committee) Boxing Task Force said on Sunday that the rest of the event, from Monday, would take place behind closed doors. But now it has been suspended.
“The BTF eventually took the decision to suspend the event today (Monday), amid increasing global travel restrictions and quarantine measures, in order to allow the participants from over 60 countries to adjust their travel plans and return home,” said a statement from the IOC.
Shortly before Sunday’s decision to move the event behind closed doors, the head of European boxing told the BBC he was “very concerned” that it was taking place.
European Boxing Confederation (EUBC) president Franco Falcinelli said he feared the risk of a boxer getting...
