Chris Eubank Jr still keen on competing at Rio Olympics
Tuesday 7 June 2016 22:41, UK
Chris Eubank Jr said he remains keen to represent his country at the Rio Olympics, despite GB Boxing saying there is no room in his division.
Professionals are eligible for Olympic qualification under new guidelines recently approved by AIBA, the body that governs amateur boxing, with Chris Eubank Sr confirming his son's application.
GB Boxing responded by saying there was no room for the British middleweight champion in his division, with Antony Fowler already set to represent Great Britain in the 75kg category.
One way around that for Eubank Jr would be to drop down in weight to compete for one of two available slots, which could both be filled at upcoming qualifying events in Baku and Venezuela.
However, despite these potential stumbling blocks, Eubank Jr said he would be keen to fight for Team GB at the Games if he was asked.
"One hundred per cent. I would never turn down an opportunity to represent my country in my sport so, if the offer is there and I can get involved in it, then I definitely will," he told Sky Sports News HQ.
"There is nothing better to do than to represent your country. Some people are saying it is a step backwards but, at the end of the day, if I was given the opportunity then I would definitely go for it. That's definitely something we are looking into at the moment."
GB Boxing says it will consider using professional fighters if the places remain up for grabs post-Baku, but the only qualifying chance for pros is a tournament in Venezuela beginning on July 3.
Eubank Sr said his son would fly out to Venezuela five days after his bout with Tom Doran on June 25, which is on the Sky Sports Box Office Anthony Joshua-Dominic Breazale bill at London's O2 Arena, to compete in qualifiers if his Olympic bid was successful.
"He is the British champion and I don't think there is anyone more befitting for the position to represent his country," Eubank Sr said.
"The politics of it I don't know about, but what I do know about is he has the ability in terms of his punch rate and speed to compete against the best in the world. I am pushing 100 per cent. We have put our request into AIBA."
