The move was made to accommodate women's boxing at the Games, which the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) ruling Executive Board unanimously agreed on last month.

The IOC would not allow the AIBA to add to its total number of boxers.

At the 2008 Beijing Games, there were 286 boxers - all male.

In London the total will remain the same but there will be 250 male boxers and 36 female boxers.

To decrease the number of men, the AIBA condensed its four lightest weight categories into three.

The men's light flyweight category (under 48kg), which was introduced at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 and was won in Beijing last year by China's Zou Shiming, will be one that will be dropped.

Women will compete at three weights in London - flyweight (48-51kg), lightweight (56-60kg) and middleweight (69-75kg) - with 12 boxers taking part at each weight.
 
The new categories will apply to all AIBA events starting in September 2010.

The decisions were made during a meeting of the AIBA Executive Committee Bureau in Milan during the World Championships.


Related stories
August 2009: Golf and rugby set for 2016, boxing for women at London 2012