Scandal with the Ukrainian junior boxing team: manipulations by the IBA and the Prodivus Federation

The main scandal in amateur boxing this autumn is the ban on the junior team of Ukraine to compete at the European Championships under the flag and with the Anthem of our country. The International Boxing Association (IBA), headed by Russian Umar Kremlev, motivated its decision by the removal of the Boxing Federation of Ukraine. Earlier, we recall, the IBA demanded to recognize Volodymyr Prodyvus as the head of the FBU, the decision on re-election of which was not recognized by the majority of Ukrainian regional federations and elections were held for a new head of the organization. They became Kirill Shevchenko.

In Italy, everything ended with a protest action by the Ukrainian team, support for our team from outstanding Ukrainian boxers, including Volodymyr Klitschko and Oleksandr Usyk, a letter to the IBA from the presidents of more than 20 national federations demanding to explain the situation, hasty statements by Prodivus about the desire to deal with the issue , an official letter from the International Boxing Association and the return of the Ukrainian team the right to compete under the flag of their country. However, this did not affect the decision of the Ukrainian team to leave the tournament in Italy. But even the statements of the IBA and the Prodivus federation were not without deceit and manipulation. Although, probably, it is not the other way for Russian officials. Let’s try to figure it out.

Let’s start with the second. Vladimir Prodivus made his statement on Facebook when the situation had already gained critical momentum, and representatives of the Ukrainian boxing community and, in fact, the athletes themselves, declared its unacceptability. If the ex-president of the FBU and a member of the board of directors of the IBA, according to his own statement, “did not support this decision and until the very end tried, if not to prevent it, then at least to delay it”, why was this not known to the Ukrainian team, athletes and coaches? And what didn’t work out with a delay or cancellation before the start, if then this situation was nevertheless rolled back?

The federation headed by Prodivus claims that the ban concerned the symbols of the Boxing Federation of Ukraine. But, how does the flag and the national anthem relate to the symbols of the FBU? And do boxers compete under the flag and emblem of the Federation at tournaments at the level of the European and World Championships? And if there was a ban on FBU symbols, why was the IBA logo opposite our boxers in the broadcast credits, while others had the flags and abbreviation of their countries?

And why was permission for Ukrainian boxers to perform under the flag and national anthem received, as the Prodivus federation said in a statement, on September 28, although the European Championship started on the 25th?

As for the statement of the International Boxing Association, allowing Ukrainian teams to compete under the flag and with the Anthem of the country, signed by the Kremlin, there are also several questions here. Most importantly, why did it appear after the appeals of the presidents of national federations and Ukrainian boxers, Usyk turned to the Kremlin personally, and not, for example, before the European Championship?

Well, two passages deserve special attention. “Boxers do not fight for medals, but to represent their countries. Sport is out of politics: where it begins, politics ends. The IBA is here to protect every boxer, regardless of the political situation in their home country. Now is the time to allow all other athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in all official competitions in their sports, representing their countries. Both the IOC and IFs must protect all athletes and there must be no discrimination based on nationality.” One gets the impression that this letter and permission were written for one purpose: not so much to smooth over a really serious and provoked scandal, but to once again raise the topic of not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes suspended for Russia’s attack on Ukraine with the complicity of Belarus.

And that is why it seems that all the statements of the IBA and the Prodivus federation are a way to protect their interests, and not a desire to help Ukrainian boxing and our country.

Bogdan Gryschuk