A THREE-MEMBER TEAM from the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) is coming to Barbados at month-end but the country won't be floored.

That assurance came from president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Barbados (ABAB), Joyce Bowen, at a Press conference yesterday at the National Sports Council.

Fresh from giving a progress report in China last week, Bowen said Barbados was about 75 per cent ready to host the prestigious Women's World Boxing Championships, for the first time in the Caribbean from September 7 to 19.

"I don't foresee any major challenges or hiccups," Bowen said as she and the organising committee (LOC) await the visit of AIBA director Ho Kim, events manager Olaf Veltman and Luiz Boselli, the technical delegate for the championship.

"When they come at the end of the month, they will be coming to visit the hotels and the gymnasium and to have talks with Government and the Barbados Olympic Association (and) to meet with the chairpersons of the LOC," she said.

Bowen added that Boselli would make other visits to Barbados and should be here at least six weeks before the championships start.

"As the technical delegate, you have to be here to see that everything is going according to the AIBA rules and regulations," she said.

Separate hotels have already been assigned as the games village for the competitors, referees, judges and international technical officers, visiting media and family and friends of the competitors.

Director of Sports Erskine King, who is a member of the oversight committee, said it was expected that the number of competitors would be cut off at 700.

"The large countries, United States, China, Canada, United Kingdom and Philippines, where boxing is so popular, they have all said they will be bringing full teams," King said.

But countries will only be allowed one competitor in each of the ten weight categories following qualifying in their respective countries.

Both King and Bowen lauded the contribution being made by Government with a prize tag of US$ 2.5 million.

It was also confirmed that the championships, which will be held at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, would not be used as an Olympic qualifier. (EzS)