BURY boxing coach Mick Jelley believes amateur boxers should boycott the Rio Olympics if his sport's governing body goes ahead with plans to allow professionals to compete.

Jelley's young protege Muhammad Ali has qualified for the British team, but his mentor is concerned at the safety implications of pitting him against seasoned pros, as well as potentially robbing the 20-year-old of the chance to make a name for himself.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) voted at the start of June to make a rule change allowing professionals to compete, with 95 per cent of member federations in favour.

A total of 26 places in the Rio tournament will be made available to professionals who qualify through an event to be staged in Venezuela next month.

But Jelley, who also helped Amir Khan book a place at the 2004 Games in Athens, said: "If they go ahead with this then I hope every amateur boxer that has qualified pulls out. What will they do then?

"Money is at the root of this and it stinks, I can't stand it.

"They have given no thought to the health and safety of the amateurs taking part.

"And what about those boys who traditionally announce their arrival on the world stage at the Olympics?

"That is how Amir made his name, and how my lad's namesake Muhammad Ali did it.

"Can you imagine what the world of boxing would have been like if Ali had never been given his chance at the Olympics?

"What AIBA are doing is wrong. They can see the chance to double, treble or quadruple the amount of money they can make in ticket money at the Games.

"I think every country should get together and make a stand against this, that's what I would do."

Jelley has also spoken of his regret at never meeting "The Greatest" before his death.

While his former boxer, Khan, did once have an audience with the 1960 Olympic champion, who passed away 10 days ago, the honour eluded the coach.

"Amir went over to meet him a couple of years after the Olympics," he said. "But although I followed his career closely he is one of the few people I never met (in boxing).

"I've met some fantastic boxers, like Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson but Ali was one of the few I never got to meet.

"It's one of those things though, I was obviously a big admirer of his.

"It is sad to lose someone like that, everyone knows what a struggle he had for the last 20 years or so but he generated such interest in the sport, people wanted to watch him."

Although Ali's last fight was in 1981, a unanimous defeat to Trevor Berbick, the Bury ABC coach says young fighters even today are influenced by the 'Louisville Lip'.

"I think he created great interest in young lads, especially our Muhammad Ali, whose father named him after him," he said.

"To be honest I preferred watching him speak, I enjoyed watching him on talk shows more, he was his own man and I could have watched him for hour after hour."