 Bermuda’s Tokyo Olympic Boxing hopefuls Lovintz Tota and Adrian Roach dreams of going to the Games may have dashed as the Americas Boxing Qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has been cancelled due to concerns coronavirus-related travel restrictions would stop some athletes reaching Buenos Aires to take part.
www.islandstats.com reached out to the Bermuda Boxing Federation President Nathan Dill who would only say, “We will be discussing this decision made, we will be speaking with the Boxers and we will then release a statement on Monday.”
“We are waiting to speak with officials to see how and what the IOC will do in this case and until then we will not make any statements,” concluded Dill.
Argentina's capital was due to host the qualification tournament from May 10th to 16th.
Tighter restrictions put in place in areas across the Americas in response to rising coronavirus cases and new variants have made hosting the competition too much of a logistical challenge, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Boxing Task Force (BTF).
Qualification for the Games will now be decided via BTF rankings, with the last-chance world qualifier already cancelled.
"In recent weeks, tighter travel restrictions and lockdowns have been implemented across the region, which have significantly disrupted international travel and pose logistical challenges to teams travelling to and from Buenos Aires, jeopardizing their ability to participate in the event," said the BTF.
"Given the nature of the event as an Olympic qualifier which will award a large number of direct quota places for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, ensuring fair access and a safe environment for all athletes and officials is of the greatest importance.
"Unfortunately, the current situation in the region does not provide the assurances needed for these principles to be followed at the event scheduled in Buenos Aires.
"For this reason, after a thorough assessment and consultations with teams, the BTF’s athlete ambassadors and boxing experts plus the Organizing Committee, the BTF has decided to cancel the event and restructure the Tokyo 2020 qualification pathway for the Americas region."
|
