Mumbai, Jul 8 (IANS): Though quite popular as a sport, boxing was introduced at the Olympic Games in 1904. It has been part of every Olympics since then, except in the 1912 Stockholm edition since Swedish laws prohibited such a sport.

It was a male-only event till Beijing 2008. Four years later, in 2012 in London, women made their debut.

There are a total of 13 categories -- eight for men and five for women. AIBA reduced the weight classes for men from 10 to eight for Tokyo 2020 Games.

In the men's section, a total of 186 contestants will compete while in the women's section, there will be 100 competitors.

Each country can put only one competitor in each category.

In all, 79 nations have won a total of 946 medals in the men's boxing competition at the Olympics so far.

A total of 252 gold, 251 silver, and 443 bronze medals have been distributed till the Rio Olympics.

The United States has been the most successful nation in men's boxing at the Olympics, winning 114 medals including 50 gold and24 silver medals. Cuba is a distant second with 73 medals -- 37 of them gold.

Félix Savón of Cuba and his compatriot Teófilo Stevenson along with László Papp of Hungary are the most successful Olympic boxers with three gold medals each.

In Tokyo, the boxing competitions will be held from July 24 to August 4.