The Boxing Federation of Canada announced a boycott of the 2023 World Boxing Championships for men and women, because athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate in the competition. This statement was made by the head of the organization, Ryan O’Shea.
Wrestlers from the USA, Ireland and the Czech Republic have already refused to participate in the championship. Russia and Belarus will act under their own flags.
“We have serious concerns about the risk our sport is facing and the future of boxing as an Olympic sport,” O’Shea said.
The 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championship is scheduled to take place from March 15 to 26 in New Delhi, India. The men’s championship is scheduled to be held from 1 to 14 May in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Earlier, on February 13, Der Spiegel magazine wrote that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that countries that oppose the participation of Russia and Belarus in the Olympic Games (OI) in Paris in 2024 should refuse to do so.
In December, the World Boxing Association (WBA) restored the ratings of wrestlers from Russia and Belarus. The organization emphasized that the athletes are not soldiers or part of the country’s government and can participate in competitions if they do not speak out in support of the special operation.
In October, the International Boxing Federation (IBA) allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the competition. The technical representatives of these two countries will also return to the competition. In addition, the federation said that Russian and Belarusian boxers will compete in international tournaments with the flag and anthem of their countries. The IBA noted that politics should not have any impact on the sport.
In March, the IBA banned Russians from participating in international tournaments. The organization suspended athletes and officials, including judges, belonging to the national federations of Russia or Belarus.
After the start of Russia’s special operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass, the IOC recommended that international sports federations prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in international competitions.
