One of the most defining initiatives launched by AIBA in recent years has been this Road to London project, which as part of AIBA's development work, offers athletes and coaches from underprivileged and developing countries the opportunity not only to participate in major AIBA events but also to attend intensive training camps in the build-up.
As we look at the 48 male boxers taking part in the first instalment of this two-stage program in Cardiff, there are some fantastic stories to tell.
Two of the athletes are from the Seychelles. One of them is Indian Ocean Games winner, 19-year-old Andrique Allisop, who defeated Olympic Games bronze medallist, Bruno Julie of Mauritius, and the second selected fighter is the skilled Kitson Julie.
Ghana was also invited to send two boxers to the training camp; Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist, 20-year-old Duke Micah and African Zonal Champion, Emmanuel Quarshie. Both can now prepare for the AIBA Africa Olympic Qualifying Event in the upmost professional environment.
Burkina Faso's Brice Romaric Bassole, won his first contest at the last edition of the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Baku and stands a very good chance of qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Bahamas' top boxer, Central American and Caribbean Games winner, Valentino Knowles, secured a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara a few months ago and it will be of great surprise if he does not achieve his Olympic quota this year. His compatriot, Welterweight Carl Heild's best result was a bronze medal from the most recent Commonwealth Games.
Colombia already has a qualification place for the Olympic Games, achieved Jeison Monroy in Baku. His powerful teammates, South American Games winner Ceiber Avila and Balado Memorial Cup winner Isaias Mena, will be doing their utmost to increase the number of Colombian quotas in May.
Guatemala's brightest talent, 16-year-old Lester Martinez, will be preparing with elite boxers for the very first time in his career. Central American and Caribbean Games silver medallist, Juan Reyes, has also been invited to the training camp.
From the Asian continent, Turkmenistan will be sending two excellent boxers to the camp; Asian Champion and AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Serdar Hudayberdiyev and two-time National Champion, 19-year-old Zarip Jumayev. They will both be competing in the Flyweight division.
Another hard-hitting Central Asian nation, Tajikistan, also got the green light to send two boxers to the AIBA Road to London Program. Safoviddin Yusufi and Dilovarsho Abdurakhmanov both won their opening contests at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Baku last year.
Vietnam is hoping for an Olympic quota and President's Cup silver medallist, Nguyen Van Hai and 22-year-old Luong Van Toan, who claimed gold at the Southeast Asian Games, both have a chance to make history.
Kyrgyzstan's only competitor in the training camp will be AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist, Islomzhon Dalibayev.
The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Lomalito Moala, who up to now has been training in New Zealand, wants to be the first Tongan athlete able to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Nauru, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, has two Pacific Mini Games winners on their squad, the experienced and talented Joseph Deireragea and Colin Caleb.
The top European boxer present at the training camp will be Lithuania's former AIBA World Championship bronze medallist, Daugirdas Semiotas, who is preparing for his second Olympic Games experience.
Latvia's Korotkov Memorial Tournament winner Dmitrijs Gutmans, Estonia's Gee Bee Tournament winner Kaupo Arro, Bosnia & Herzogovina's No.1 Dzemal Bosnjak and Albania's Xhulio Vrenozi will also have the opportunity to increase their knowledge at this high quality Road to London training camp.
This is an experience of a lifetime for many of these athletes and the training on offer in Wales will stand them in good stead for the rest of the year.
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