A late change to the boxing qualification process for the Olympic Games is set to impact Irish contenders.
Following a meeting of the International OIympic Committee's Boxing Task Force for Europe on Monday, it has been announced that a last-chance World qualifying event scheduled for June in Paris has been cancelled.
The European qualifying tournament, which was suspended after three days in London last March, was due to be completed in April, but has also been postponed until June.
Final Tokyo 2020 places that were due to be allocated via the World qualifying event will now be left to each of the four continental confederation to choose, with the highest ranked non-Games qualified boxer at each weight class in line to be picked.
Brendan Irvine is the only Irish fighter to have qualified for the Olympics thus far.
The Belfast boxer is among a 10-strong Irish squad which will compete at the 72nd Standja Multi-Nations in Sofia, Bulgaria next week.
Irish squad: Niamh Earley (Ryston BC), Brendan Irvine (St Paul's BC), Michaela Walsh (Monkstown BC), Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s BC), George Bates (St Mary’s BC), Aidan Walsh (Monkstown BC), Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea BC), Emmett Brennan (Dublin Docklands), Kirill Afanasev (Smithfield BC), Gytis Lisinskas (Celtic Eagles BC).
