Australia's boxers hoping to qualify for the 2021 Olympic Games will now have to rely on their rankings based on results from 2017 to make it to Tokyo.
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The International Olympic Committee said a global qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Olympics had to be cancelled because of tough COVID-19 travel protocols.
Plans were changed because of "current challenges to international travel and related restrictions in many countries" during the coronavirus pandemic, the IOC added.
Boxers worldwide were to compete for 53 places in the Tokyo lineup at a tournament in Paris in June.
Those places will now be allocated equally across continents by world rankings based on results since 2017, the IOC said.
Olympic entries from Africa and the Asia-Oceania region will now be allocated by rankings while boxers in the Americas and Europe can still earn qualifying places in the ring.
An Americas tournament is scheduled for May 10-16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the European qualifiers should be in June at a venue to be decided.
The European event began in London last March then was stopped after three of 11 scheduled days when the pandemic was declared. London was to have hosted the postponed event this April.
An IOC-appointed panel is organising the Tokyo boxing tournaments after recognition of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) was suspended over governance and finance issues.
There will be eight men's weight classes and five women's weight classes at the Tokyo Olympics, which are set to open on July 23.
Australian Associated Press
