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13/08/2009
Women's boxing gets go ahead for 2012
The Amateur Boxing Association of England is thrilled at the announcement made by the International Olympic Committee today, that women's boxing will be part of the sport schedule at the London 2012 Olympics.
At its meeting in Berlin, the International Olympic Committee's executive board said that three women's weight classes would be added.
ABAE Chief Executive Paul King said: "Fifteen years ago ABAE made a seismic decision to support women's participation in boxing. More and more women are taking part in the sport and today's decision made by the IOC means we can now look forwards to watching the first ever GB women's boxing team on the world stage at London 2012."
England's first female World medallist Nicola Adams
Image: AIBA
In 1996 the ABAE made a decision to lift the 166 year ban on women's boxing and support and develop female participation in the sport. It has consistently driven female participation ever since. However, boxing in the Olympics remained a male-only discipline until now.
The progress made by the ABAE has seen figures escalate from only 50 female boxers registered in 2005 to over 1000 women actively competing today. To help drive participation and support its vision for women's boxing, the ABAE employed a National Women's Development Manager.
The implementation of development programmes and national championships, and the formation of an English international team - funded by the ABAE through Sport England - has seen substantial results.
In this year's European Union Championships in Bulgaria, the entire women's team medalled against tough European competition. Savannah Marshall, Natasha Jonas and Sharon Holford secured gold medals while Lucy O'Connor and Hannah Beharry took bronze.
The inclusion of women's boxing in the Olympics will help raise the sport's profile and funding while keeping boxing as a recreational activity high on the national fitness agenda. The Government is backing a return of recreational, non-contact boxing to the National Curriculum in schools.