Ghanaian boxers will have a greater chance of qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympics if they join the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) and World Series of Boxing (WSB) competitions.

Ghana was represented by four boxers at the London Olympic Games in 2012 but the International Boxing Association (AIBA) has revealed a ‘controversial’ qualification system for Rio, which has already been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

According to a reports just 23 of the 250 men’s spots at the Games will be available at the 2015 World Championships in the Qatari capital of Doha by comparison with 70 at the 2011 edition in Baku, Azerbaijan for London 2012.

The top three athletes from five weight categories 56 kilogramme, 60kg, 64kg, 69kg and 75kg, the gold and silver medalists from three divisions – 46-49kg, 52kg and 81kg – and the champions in the two heaviest classes – 91kg and over 91kg – will qualify for Rio 2016.

Replacing much of the spots will be athletes competing in the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) and World Series of Boxing (WSB) competitions, which AIBA executive director Ho Kim said “a significant step forward to realizing the mission set in 2007 which was for AIBA to govern the sport of boxing in all its forms”.

The AIBA Pro AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) and World Series of Boxing (WSB) competitions have already received opposition from some of the major professional boxing governing bodies, notably the World Boxing Council.

Twenty places will go to the champion and challenger in each weight category of the APB world ranking, while 17 places are up for grabs in the WSB ranking with the top boxer in each class going to Rio 2016.

A further 26 places will be available at an APB/WSB Olympic qualifying event being held in May 2016.Many Rio 2016 Olympic berths will be available to athletes competing in the AIBA Pro Boxing and World Series of Boxing competitions ©Getty Images

Four continental Olympic qualifying events, taking place between February and April 2016, will also offer up 115 places for the Rio Games, with the top three boxers in each weight category securing a berth.

The final 39 Rio spots will be allocated at an AIBA Open Boxing (AOB) World Olympic Qualifying event in June 2016.

For women there will be the same three weight categories – flyweight, lightweight and middleweight – as at London 2012, with the top four ranked boxers in each weight class of the 2016 Women’s World Boxing Championships qualifying for Rio 2016.

The remaining 20 spots will be allocated at four women’s continental Olympic qualification events taking place between February and April 2016.

Meanwhile, a maximum of six quota places – five men and one woman – across all weight categories, except in men’s heavy and super heavyweight, will be reserved for the host country, Brazil.

Five men’s and three women’s Tripartite Commission invitation places are also available to eligible National Olympic Committees for Rio 2016.