India offers to host boxing's Olympic Qualifiers

New Delhi: The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has offered to host next month's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which has been cancelled in the Chinese city of Wuhan following the outbreak of coronavirus. The qualifiers are scheduled from February 3 to 15 but the schedule has now become uncertain following the health crisis in Wuhan, which has so far claimed 17 lives and infected over 550 people.

"Due to any reason, if the event is to be shifted to a different country, Boxing Federation of India would be willing to host this Asian and Oceania Qualification Event 2020," BFI President Ajay Singh stated in a letter to the Chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Task Force Morinari Watanabe. "We propose to organise this event at K D Jadhav Indoor Hall, Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, New Delhi, where we earlier hosted the AIBA Elite Women's World Boxing Championship in November, 2018,"

he added.