PARIS: Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather and Lennox Lewis are among the boxing greats who have cut their teeth at the Olympics, with a new generation of fighters eager to follow in their footsteps in Paris. But there are serious questions over whether the sport will even remain on the Olympic programme.

Boxing made its debut at the modern Olympics in 1904 and has been contested at every Summer Games since, apart from the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm as Swedish law banned the sport at the time. But it only went ahead at the COVID-delayed Tokyo Games three years ago after the International Olympic Committee stepped in to oversee the competition.

The IOC suspended its recognition of the International Boxing Association in 2019 because of concerns over governance, financial and ethical issues and last year it withdrew its recognition of the governing body. The IOC will once again organize the boxing in the French capital and has given the sport until 2025 to get its house in order, otherwise it risks being excluded from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Against this uncertain backdrop, nearly 250 boxers - evenly split for the first time between men and women - will do battle between July 27 and August 10, the penultimate day of the Games. Women’s boxing made its Olympic debut at London 2012 across three weight categories but there will be six weight divisions in Paris, reflecting the growth of the sport.

Olympic boxing will take place at the North Paris Arena on the outskirts of the city and at Roland-Garros, better known as the home of the French Open tennis. Among those to watch in the women’s competition will be Ireland’s Kellie Harrington, who won the lightweight title in Tokyo.

She suffered her first defeat in three years in April and knows the pressure is on after her heroics in 2021 catapulted her into the spotlight. “It’s not about being the greatest, it’s not about bringing back a medal,” the 34-year-old recently told Irish media.

“It’s that feeling of, ‘I’m just going to get this done because this is what I’ve worked for’.” Also in the women’s event is Cindy Ngamba, who was born in Cameroon but moved to Britain aged 11 and will represent the Refugee Olympic Team.

Delicious prospect

There are several plotlines in the men’s competition, which will similarly feature reigning Olympic champions, some boxers with professional experience and also emerging talents. Led in the past by boxers such as Ali, Mayweather, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr and Evander Holyfield, the United States is the most successful nation in the history of Olympic boxing.

But its men have failed to take home gold since Andre Ward - another who went on to become a world champion - in 2004. Their hopes of ending that drought are led by the 21-year-old featherweight Jahmal Harvey.

Cuba are another traditional heavyweight and in Arlen Lopez and Julio Cesar La Cruz they have two highly accomplished fighters who are looking to win gold for a third time. Only three boxers have ever done that in the history of the Games.

Britain are another powerhouse, both in women’s and men’s boxing. Anthony Joshua won gold for the hosts at London 2012 before turning pro and becoming heavyweight world champion. Britain have high hopes for 27-year-old super-heavyweight Delicious Orie, who has been mentioned as the next possible Joshua and is a reigning Commonwealth Games champion. — AFP

A sparring partner of Joshua’s, Orie once said: “Some say I’m the new Anthony Joshua, but one day I aim to be even better and dominate.” Waseem Abu Sal will be the first Palestinian boxer to compete at the Olympics after earning a wildcard spot. “This has been my dream since I was 10,” he told AFP at his gym in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. “Every day I woke up wondering how to get to the Olympics.” – AFP