The five-day workshop, which will take place from October 29 to November 4, will provide participants with an intensive five-day induction to APB and WSB – the two AIBA-owned competitions that allow boxers to fight professionally while retaining their Olympic eligibility.

WSB launched in 2010 and is set to enter its third season, while APB is set to launch at the end of 2013.

The workshop in Incheon will see referees and judges take part in theoretical and practical courses to become fully in tune with the difference between AIBA Olympic Boxing (AOB), APB and WSB.

It will start with two days of theoretical seminars that detail the APB and WSB competition and technical rules, with an in-depth analysis of the APB programme.

This will be followed by two days of practical seminars with scoring practice in real live situations.

The courses will be presented in English with Spanish, French and Russian translations.

The evaluation and exams, scheduled for October 31, will be divided into three categories, with one multiple choice paper to be completed, a practical individual test with video and finally an in-depth evaluation by three experienced instructors.

APB, arguably AIBA’s most ambitious project ever, has been devised by the organisation’s President CK Wu

Once they have passed these rigorous tests, participants will become certified APB/WSB referees and judges able to officiate in AOB elite competitions as well as APB and WSB events.

The workshop is of huge importance to AIBA as APB is arguably their most ambitious project to date.

The brainchild of current AIBA President CK Wu, the APB is looking to roll back decades of tradition by stopping the best Olympic boxers turning professional following the Games.

Boxing history is rich with examples of Olympic boxing champions going on to have hugely successful professional careers, including the legendary Muhammad Ali – who won the light heavyweight gold medal at Rome in 1960 under the name of Cassius Clay before going on to become the best heavyweight fighter ever.

Other notable names include George Foreman who won the heavyweight gold medal at Mexico City in 1968, Sugar Ray Leonard, winner of the light welterweight title at Montreal in 1976 and Oscar de la Hoya, who won lightweight gold at Barcelona in 1992.

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