But the United States have still decided to withdraw from the event.

USA Boxing's interim executive director Mike Martino said they are "very disappointed for our athletes" but insists dropping out of the tournament was the right decision.

Ten US boxers were to have competed.

All earned their spots by winning the under-19 national championships in February.

The tournament, however, will not be cancelled because of the importance of the event as the sole qualifying tournament for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

The Championships were originally scheduled to begin today but due to the difficulty of distant countries getting to Baku without the aid of air transport; the AIBA have decided to move the start date back.

AIBA have also advised all the countries in attendance to be wary about booking return flights from Azerbaijan.

An AIBA statement said: "Participating national federations are advised not to rebook their return flights unless their boxers qualify for the semi-finals on 2-3 May."

The finals of the tournament are now set to take place on May 3 with the successful boxers, who are aged between 17 and 18, set to compete at the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore which take place in August this year.

The AIBA Youth World Championships are held every two years and first began in 1979 in Yokohama, Japan.

Formerly known as the AIBA World Cadet Championships, the AIBA Youth World Championships are one of the most prestigious events on the planet for young amateur boxers.

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