(NOV 10)  The 8th Edition of the AIBA World Women's Elite Championships begins at the Halla Gymnasium in Jeju on 16th November with the opening ceremony scheduled for later that evening. The general weigh in will have taken place a day earlier.
Surprisingly little news from the organisers, AIBA, with at the time of writing no reference to the event on their official AIBA.org website or on their social media pages. Very sad to see that the AIBA world is not being kept informed by its own organisation as to the
entrants for Jeju, how many boxers/countries are taking part or details of any TV or Live Streaming coverage.

One wonders how the AIBA believes that the world's media and boxing fraternity as whole round the world are expected to hear about the pre-tournament when they themselves issue no official statements. There is an understanding, from many months ago, that the semi-finals and finals will be either live streamed on AIBA TV or on some TV stations round the globe but again no news. In the longer term it seems as if the International olympic Committee (I.O.C) is likely to set up its own TV Channel - Olympic TV - but that may nto be before Tokyo 2020 and would in any event apply only to boxing in the Olympic Games.

The individual staff in the media team are very helpful so one must imagine that the 'news blackout' to date is AIBA policy, difficult though that may be to understand. For some years now until mid-2013 the then AIBA Media team kept the public informed via their website of what was happening.

That seems to have changed in recent months, hopefully not a sign that the organisation is retreating back to the bad old days pre the appointment of Dr Ching-Kuo Wu as President when little or no news was even released to the general public.

Insofar as the 2014 World Championships are concerned, again many countries have not even released their teams to the media in their home country albeit of course names of competitors had to be with the AIBA HQ by 30th which makes the secrecy all the more unusual.

So let us take a look at the countries who have named their teams. We have already brought you news from such as Australia, England and Ireland so today let us look at the United States and India.

India, will sadly be missing the injured Mary Kom and Pooja Rani and the suspended Laishram Sarita Devi. The Indian team has been confirmed:

Squad: Sarjubala Devi Shamjetsabam (48Kg), Pinki Rani (51Kg), Meenkumari Devi Maisnam (54Kg) Pwilao Basumatary (57Kg), Priyanka Choudhary (60Kg), Pavitra (64Kg), Neetu (69Kg), Monica Saun (75Kg), Saweety (81Kg), Kavita (81+Kg),

Coach: Swatantra Raj Singh (AIBA Star 3 Coach SAI), I Venkateshwara Rao (AIBA Star 3 Coach SAI), Sandhya Gurung (AIBA Star 1 Coach).

Nirmolak Singh (AIBA Ringside physician, Hema Valecha (Physiotherapist SAI), R Rajendran (Manager).

London 2012 Olympic Gold medallist Claressa Shields heads a top class U.S team for Jeju where she will hope to take a first ever 75kg title back to the United States and her home in Flint. Shields lost to England's Savannah Marshall at the last world's in China in 2012 so will be keen to add this title to her Olympic Gold. That said Marshall is equally determined to retain her title so a 'battle royal' is expected though there are several other challengers for the crown including Mary Spencer, the three times World titleholder from Windsor, Canada. Before leaving for Jeju, Savannah Marshall summed up her chances and how keen she was to defeat Shields once more in an interview with' The Guardian' she said that she had enjoyed the Queen's Cup tournament in Germany last month and was looking forward to renewing her rivalry with the 19 years old from Flint.

"“Yeah, she’s a bit of a livewire,” said Marshall. “But she’s American so they’re all brash aren't they, and big themselves up? But d’you know at the end of the day it’s her thinking about me all the time. She talks about me in every interview she does. D’you know I don’t even give her a thought, it’s me that’s playing on her mind and she’s just going to be losing sleep over it.” Sounds as if we are in for a great battle if the two meet up again in Jeju but let's not forget such as the Chinese and Russian champions and of course the highly experienced Mary Spencer.

Queen Underwood will represent the U.S in the 60kg lightweight class again in Jeju. She is hoping to have another tilt at Katie Taylor with a view to becoming World champion in 2014 having missed out in Barbados 2010. Others who may well feel they can unseat Taylor as the Queen of boxing will include once more Russia's Sofya Ochigava, England's Chantelle Cameron, Mavzuna Chorieva of Tajikistan and Adriana Dos Santos Araujo of Brazil. Can they succeed where they and many others have failed as Taylor sees a record fifth in-a-row title in Korea. Outside chances of a medal perhaps - depending on the draw - for Canada's Caroline Veyre and French titleholder, Estelle Mosselly who sensationally defeated Russia's Ochigava in the European Union semi-finals earlier this year on a 3:0 scoreline in Hungary.

Queen is a former pipe fitter in the Seattle Fire Department, but she's made a successful transition to the role of a full-time athlete since competing in the Olympic Games in London. She is now a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center where she also gives visitor tours and assists the USOC with speeches and appearances.


The 30 years old from Seattle will be competing in her fourth straight World Championships and won a bronze medal in Barbados 2010.

Other American challengers who will have high hopes of success in Korea include London 2012 bronze medallist Marlen Esparza (Nicola Adams will not be in Jeju). One of the best known female boxers in the world following her wide array of endorsements at the 2012 Olympic Games, Esparza was recently selected to participate in Nike's global campaign. A resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, she continues to share her story with engaged crowds throughout the country as a motivational speaker.

Last year, she released her first fitness DVD, the Power Boxing Workout, and recently placed 49th out of a crowd of 25,000 at the Nike Women's half marathon. She will be chasing her first World Championships title at the 2014 event in Jeju and remains focused on moving up to the top step on the medal podium at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.She does face very strong competition though in Jeju inc the champions of Russia and China.

World no.1 Tiara Brown at 57kg featherweight is also a major American hope for Gold l in Jeju. She has been in fine form this year back home.

WBAN wishes every success to all boxers in Korea and hopefully this will be yet another outstanding competition which will prove once more to the AIBA and President Ching Kuo-Wu that there should be ten weights for Women in the next Olympic Games.