Of the 26 summer Olympic sports federations who are organising competitions in London, boxing is currently the only one without female participants.

 

The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) is therefore pushing for the inclusion of women's boxing.

 

insidethegames first revealed in 2006 that the AIBA hoped to introduce women's boxing at London 2012.

 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a statement  that its programme commission will "make a recommendation to the executive board," which is set to make a decision at its meeting in Berlin on August 13.

 

AIBA spokesman Richard Baker said: "The proposal appeals to a key part of the Olympic charter which calls for gender equality."

 

In February, Britain's Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell wrote to officials calling on them to lead a campaign to help them end "gender  discrepancies” in the Olympic and Paralympic rules, which allow men to compete in 40 more events than women.

 

Women's boxing was a demonstration event at the 1904 Olympics in St Louis but largely disappeared until 1994 when the international amateur association recognised it.

 

Pat Hickey, the influential president of the European Olympic Committee who is supporter of the sport, has said that he is not hopeful on women's boxing being introduced for 2012 because he fears that it will mean a cut in the men's weight divisions.

 

That would be a blow to Ireland's Katie Taylor, a two-time world champion who would be one of the favourites to win a gold medal if the sport is included on the programme at London in 2012.