AIBA officially reduces the number of weight categories for men to 8

The Congress of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) approved changes in the weight categories for competitions at the Olympic Games, which will come into force in Tokyo in 2020. Now men will compete in eight classes - 52 kg, 57 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg, 81 kg, 91 kg, and over 91 kg. The number of participants at the Olympics will now be 214 boxers. Before that, male amateurs competed in 10 weight categories. Categories up to 49 kg and up to 60 kg were excluded.

Women at the Olympics will now be presented in five weight categories - 51 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 69 kg, and 75 kg. A total of 72 woman athletes will go to the Games. Earlier in the previous two Olympics, women were represented in three categories - 51 kg, 60 kg, and 75 kg.

Also at the Congress a limit was set for participation in the Olympics for the pros - a boxer must have no more than 15 pro fights to participate in the qualification for the Games.