Brendan Irvine assured Olympic qualification still stands

Brendan Irvine’s ticket to Tokyo is still valid.

The ‘Wee Rooster’ appeared to be the first Irish fighter to qualify for the 34th Olympiad with victory in the Copper Box Arena before the London hosted European qualifiers were cancelled early.

The St Paul’s fighter timed his return from injury and form perfectly, produced the kind of display that saw some herald him as a genuine medal hope and outclassed the Hungarian Istvan Szaka.

However, questions with regard to qualification and whether or not those who had secured Olympian status would retain it were raised when the Olympics were postponed.

Toyko 2020 will now be held between July 23 and August 8 next year and qualifying pathways remain unclear.

However, Thomas Bach the president of the IOC has confirmed that those already qualified will remain qualified.

Bach confirmed: “It is clear that those athletes who have qualified for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 remain qualified. This is a consequence of the fact that these Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, in agreement with Japan, will remain the Games of the XXXII Olympiad.”

“It is clear that those athletes who have qualified for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 remain qualified. This is a consequence of the fact that these Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, in agreement with Japan, will remain the Games of the XXXII Olympiad.” – Thomas Bach, IOC President pic.twitter.com/bzxOFdPUY4

— Olympics (@Olympics) March 28, 2020

The Rio Olympian is the only Irish fighter qualified and 12 more amateurs will look to secure qualification.