Ukraine will boycott the world boxing championships, along with USA, UK, Ireland, Czech Republic, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Poland.
The national boxing team of Ukraine will not compete at the world championships among women and men in 2023. The Vice President of the Boxing Federation, Oleh Ilchenko, announced this decision in an interview with Suspilne. The boycott is due to the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus, who can compete under their flags. The International Boxing Association made a corresponding decision back in October 2022, when it lifted the ban on boxers from Russia and Belarus from participating in competitions.
“Our answer is clear: our athletes and representatives of the boxing federation of Ukraine do not perform where the representatives of the aggressor countries will perform – these are Russia and Belarus,” Ilchenko said. “Thus, Ukraine joins a number of countries that have already announced their decision to boycott the World Cup.”
The vice president of the boxing federation of Ukraine also said that the national team will boycott the 2024 Olympics if boxers from Russia or Belarus will compete there. The main tournament for the Ukrainian boxing team will be the European Games, which will be held in June in Poland. Boxers from Russia and Belarus will not compete at this tournament, and it will also be a qualifier for the 2024 Olympics.
