By Tom Degun

aiba logoApril 25 - Five countries have formally expressed their interest in hosting the 2015 International Boxing Association (AIBA) Men's World Boxing Championships, which will serve as one of the main qualifying events for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.


Qatar, Russia, Thailand, Venezuela and the tiny South Pacific island nation Vanuatu are the five countries vying to host the prestigious competition after AIBA opened the bidding process for the event in February this year.

The five countries have now been requested submit their bid documents by May 15 next month before they present to the AIBA Executive Committee at their meeting in July.

Following the presentations, the AIBA Executive Committee, headed by President CK Wu, will vote decide which country will host the event.

"Two months after the AIBA had opened the bidding process for its 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships, a total of five countries have expressed their interest in hosting AIBA's major competition," said an AIBA statement.

"Qatar, Russia, Thailand, Vanuata and the Venezuela will now prepare their bid documents for May 15 before presenting it to the AIBA Executive Committee in July.

"Based on these presentations, the AIBA EC will then make a decision on the host country."
 
Anthony Joshua 4Britain’s super heavyweight Anthony Joshua won silver at the Baku 2011 Men’s World Boxing Championships

The 2015 AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships will see the gold medallist in each of the ten weight categories qualified directly for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The event is the biggest AIBA competition outside the Olympic Games while it is staged every two years.

Baku in Azerbaijan staged the 2011 edition of the event while Almaty in Kazakhstan will host the 2013 AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships in October.

The next AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, which are also staged every two years but separately from the men's event, will be held in Canada at a city to be announced next year.

Bidding for the 2016 women's event, which will serve as the sole qualifier for Rio 2016, has not yet opened but London is said to be lining up a bid for the event after successful staging the 2012 Olympic boxing competition where female fighters made the debut at the Games.

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