In a similar situation, Grainne Walsh missed out on the European Games last year despite beating former world champion Amy Broadhurst to the national title.

Broadhurst was beaten in Poland and along with another world champion, Lisa O’Rourke, was injured and did not compete at this year’s Elite Championships where Walsh retained her title.

The Tullamore boxer has now been given her chance to achieve her Olympic dream and if she succeeds it will end the hopes of both Broadhurst and O’Rourke.

Almost 700 boxers are entered for the tournament and as a result the Paris boxing taskforce, which is running the competition on behalf of the International Olympic Committee, has decided that boxers will box to quota.

This means boxers will cease competing at the quarter-finals stage when the semi-finalists are determined and therefore the Olympic qualifiers are decided.

“It is a great honour, and a remarkable achievement to box for Ireland at this level, in the hope of becoming an Olympian,” explained Ireland high performance coach Zauri Antia.

“The preparations for this team have been excellent, and I believe in all eight boxers and their abilities.

“There is a long road of four fights for our boxers to book their ticket to Paris, but they are very committed. I am proud to be here with them, and to do the business.”

There is no doubt the Irish squad are well prepared for the challenges of the next week.

“This will be a tough competition, but every single boxer on this team is ready. They’ve put in the work, technically and tactically, in our training camps with Ukraine, Spain, France and Turkey, and in our training camp in Assisi in February,” says coach Damian Kennedy.

“There is massive drive and focus in all of these athletes – they know what’s ahead, they know what’s at stake. They are all high performers and can’t wait to get into the ring.”

The last-chance second world qualifying tournament takes place in Thailand at the end of May.