Last June, the IOC Executive Board decided to remove two men's boxing events from the Olympic programme in order to make way for two additional female ones.

AIBA had been hoping to add the extra female events and only sacrifice men's quotas rather than actual medal events.

It is up to AIBA to propose exactly which men's events will be cut from the programme.

At London 2012 and Rio 2016, there were 10 men’s and three women’s categories.

As things stand, when the Games take place in Tokyo in three years’ time there will be eight men’s and five women’s divisions.

Franco Falcinelli, who stepped down as AIBA’s interim President today and was replaced by Uzbekistan's Gafur Rakhimov , blamed the organisation’s former President C K Wu for the decision.

He claimed the AIBA Executive Committee were unaware of the decision of the IOC, until nearly two months after it was reached, claiming it was Wu’s fault.

"The IOC Executive Board made the decision to remove weight categories from men’s boxing competitions from 10 to eight, with two additional women’s divisions added," Falcinelli told delegates.

"All AIBA Executive Committee members learned about this decision two months later.

"It was a total shock to all of us and the Executive Committee decided to reject it.

"The IOC decision could create dire consequences when lighter weight boxers compete in a heavy weight category.

"They stated that their next Executive Board meeting would discuss the future of boxing in the Olympic Games, depending on the report sent by AIBA on January 30.

"This recurring threat to exclude boxing from the Olympic programme offends our glorious Olympic history, our tradition of a popular sport spread all over the around the world.

"Boxing cannot be out on the brink of exclusion from the Olympic programme, because the values of our sport belong to the world history and to the sport history.

"Due to the incomparable social, cultural, and great political heritage nobody has the right to expel boxing from the Olympic Movement."

The IOC were represented at AIBA’s Congress today by Kit McConnell, their sports director, who claimed he welcomed the opportunity to explain the full process behind the decision.

He told the Extraordinary Congress that 26 of the 28 summer sports had requested additional events or changes to their existing programme to boost gender equality.

Efforts were made to ensure greater youth and an urban feel to new disciplines, as well as boosting gender equality as part of the Agenda 2020.

Submissions were been proposed by the IOC Programme Commission, before being ratified by the IOC Executive Board.

It has also been thought that the IOC’s discontent at the running of AIBA had partly been behind the IOC Executive Board’s decision earlier this year to remove two men's events from the Olympic programme for Tokyo 2020 in order to make way for two additional female ones.

Claiming they supported the addition of two women’s categories, AIBA have complained that the reduction of the men’s divisions could lead to a loss of interest in the sport worldwide.

They also claim there is not a "sufficient number" of female boxers to justify the decision.

AIBA are officially requesting that the IOC maintain the 10 men’s divisions by reducing the number of boxers in each weight category.

For Tokyo 2020 they are requesting five women’s categories with 60 boxers and 10 men’s categories with 226 boxers.

It would keep the number of female boxers in each division to 12, rather than 16.

AIBA claim the difference in ability between female boxers could potentially risk athletes health, as well as reduce the quality of the event.

Bronze medal matches would take place in the women's event, given the reduced field.

"AIBA is fully committed to gender equality, as well as our governance," said Canada's Executive Committe member Pat Fiacco.

"It is our ambition by the 2028 Olympics [in Los Angeles] for women’s boxing to be fully equal, which will think is a very aggressive and bold move.

"At London 2012 we had 250 men in 10 categories, as well as 36 women in three.

"Meaning there were 13 per cent women and 87 per cent men.

"For Tokyo [2020] the proposal for the IOC, not of the AIBA Executive Committee, would be eight men’s categories with 206 boxers and for 80 boxers in five women’s divisions.

"That is a 122 per cent increase, bringing it to 72 per cent men and 28 per cent women.

"It is admirable, but we are concerned.

"We promise we will get there."

Fiacco claimed the IOC Executive Board decision reduced the chance of several countries earning medals at the Olympic Games.

He also revealed that just 20 per cent of their members fielded athletes at their most recent Women’s World Championships.

Fiacco urged the IOC to allow the Tokyo 2020 tournament be reflective of the number of registered male and female boxers.

There are currently 79 per cent men registered to 21 per cent women, he told the Extraordinary Congress.