Hickey says he is confident that the female version of the sport will be given the green light for the London Games - which would be 108 years after men's boxing debuted at the 1904 Games in St Louis.

 

In November Hickey had led the praise for Ireland's Katie Taylor after she won a gold medal at the World Championships in Delhi.

 

She has said she is disappointed it has not been included in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing but has vowed to stay amateur in the hope it will be included in London.

"I will be doing everything in my power to try and ensure that women's boxing is an Olympic sport in 2012 and I would be confident that it will be included in the London Games," said Hickey.

 

"Katie is a superb athlete and she deserves the chance to represent Ireland on the highest stage of them all and I will be lobbying the powers that be from here on in to ensure that women's boxing is included in London."