Women's boxing may be staged at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said an official at the Chinese 10th National Games on Tuesday.

"Women's boxing should be part of the 2008 Olympics games," said Shen Zhigang, vice director of the Chinese boxing federation.

Shen told Xinhua that World Boxing Council had already got a promise from IOC (International Olympic Committee) president Jacques Rogge who supported the idea of accepting women's boxing as a part of Olympics.

"Anwar Chowdhry, the president of IBA (International Boxing Association) told me that the IOC and IBA in principle had agreed to admit women's boxing in the next Olympiad," said Shen.

"The issue of how to promote the women's boxing being accepted by Olympics will be discussed in the World Boxing Council's meeting to be held in Spain in October," added Shen.

According to Shen, Women's boxing came up in China in 1987, as some sports schools in Shen Yang, a northeast city in China, began to feature boxing class for female students.

"Chinese women boxers have won several gold medals in international arena during the past several years as more and more girls got interests in this game," said Shen.

Shen will lead the Chinese women's boxing team to the fourth international women's boxing championship to be held in Russia in September.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2005)