ANTHONY JOSHUA mark II could be unearthed in London in March when London hosts it’s biggest Olympic boxing event since the 2012 Olympic Games AJ wowed.
The Boxing Road to Tokyo Olympic Qualifying event takes place from the 14th to 24th to start deciding who will compete at the summer games in Japan.
Anthony Joshua is back on top of the boxing world – and a role model to many aspiring amateursCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The Copper Box will show bouts in eight men’s weight categories and five for women, with 450 fighters slugging it out for 77 places at the 2020 games, 50 men and 27 women.
Eight men and five women from the GB Boxing squad will be selected to compete in London, which is the first opportunity for the boxers to qualify for Tokyo.
The second and final chance will be at the final Boxing Road to Tokyo World Qualification Event in Paris in mid-May.
AJ’s trainer Rob McCracken, who deserves huge credit for the gameplan that helped the Watford hero reclaim his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr on December 7, believes home support could roar on his young charges.
Can Cheavon Clarke follow in fellow heavyweight Anthony Joshua’s footsteps to super-stardom?Credit: Getty Images – Getty
HUNT FOR NEXT HERO
The expert cornerman said: “Our boxers had a very good year in 2019, when the men and women won 16 medals at four major competitions, so they are coming into 2020 in a good run of form.
“The qualifier will be very tough, as a lot of the European nations are strong in boxing, so it is good that it is taking place in this country.
“Hopefully the home support will spur our boxers on and help them to perform at their best.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan was grateful for the International Olympic Committee decision to bring elite amateur boxing back to the capital.
Khan, said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and it’s fantastic we’re hosting yet another world-class event.
Londoners and visitors alike can look forward to a thrilling spectacle at the Olympic Park in March, as Europe’s best boxers compete for a place in the Tokyo 2020 Games.”
Team GB heavyweight and 2020 hopeful Cheavon Clarke will be one of the main names looking to secure his seat on the plane.
The 29-year-old, who competed in Belarus and Russia in 2019, said: “I have grown-up and spent a lot of my life in London so to have the Olympic qualifier here is fantastic.
“As part of the GB Boxing squad we usually compete abroad so to have such an important event on home soil is fantastic.
“All of the boxers in the squad are pleased about it and really excited at the prospect of competing in London.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
