 The championships was first held in 1974 Havana, Cuba as a men's only event and the first women's championships was held over 25 years later in 2001.The men's and women's competitions are held separately and since 2006 the biennial championships have been held in alternating years.The number of weight categories was reduced from twelve to eleven in 2003 with the removal of the light middleweight division (−71 kg).