The International Boxing Association (AIBA) are planning to hold an Extraordinary Congress here in the Swiss city to discuss amending Rule 13.J on eligibility.

Providing the amendment is approved by AIBA's 197 Member Federations, it will open the door for any boxer to compete at Rio 2016 providing they have qualified.

The controversial proposal has been condemned by several leading figures in the sport, including 1988 Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, who has called the idea "preposterous". 

C K Wu, the President of AIBA, who is behind the plan, is confident, however, the rule change will be approved.

"We’ve already conducted a survey among the National Federations and 90 per cent of the answers are positive," Wu, who has been attending a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board here, told insidethegames.

"This is a necessary evolution because some great professionals have already told me that they’d like to be in Rio [for the Olympic Games].

"I believe this will lead to great interest in the sport of boxing in Rio."

Wu, however, once again made it clear there would be no special favours for any boxer, including Manny Pacquiao, the sport's first and only eight-division world champion, who has claimed he had been personally invited by the Taiwanese to compete at Rio 2016.

"There are no wild cards, it’s all clear and simple," Wu said.

"Any boxer that is interested in competing at Rio 2016 must contact their National Federation and go through the proper channels, which means the qualifying process that we published a long time ago."

According to the AIBA website, the late decision to change the eligibility criteria for the Olympics means that any professional boxer who wants to compete at Rio 2016 will only have one opportunity to qualify.  

That will be at the AIBA World Olympic Qualifier in Azerbaijan's capital Baku, an event due to take place between June 14 and 26, where the top three of the remaining boxers in each of the eight categories, and the champion in two heaviest classes, will qualify. 

A spokesman for AIBA, however, has told insidethegames that a new tournament at the end of June or beginning of July will be introduced on to the calendar to give professionals the opportunity to qualify for Rio 2016. 

Full details are expected to be announced soon. 

Wu's idea continues to divide opinion, including among boxers currently trying to qualify for Rio 2016. 

"I think it’s silly but we’ve got no fear at all for any professional boxers that want to come because over the 3x3 format, it’s completely different to 12 rounds," Cyrus Pattinson, the British champion in the 69 kilogram category, who competes for the British Lionhearts in the World Series of Boxing, told insidethegames.

"We spar with a lot of professionals and for three full rounds it’s our style - we’re fast, we’re sharper - and it’s the later rounds when they seem to come in so I welcome any person."