“The Russian national team considers me its own and I consider this team mine,” said boxer Kushitashvili who plays for Georgia.

Boxer playing for the Georgian team Giorgi Kushitashvili in an interview with , he said that he still has a warm relationship with the Russian national team.

Kushitashvili is a two-time champion of Russia, a participant in the 2019 World Cup as part of the Russian team. In May 2022, Kushitashvili, already a member of the Georgian national team, won the European championship. These days, the 27-year-old boxer takes part in the World Championships in Tashkent and has already reached the quarterfinals in the weight category up to 86 kg. In the professional ring, Kushitashvili scored his first two victories in the tournaments of the Russian promotion RCC Boxing Promotions.

– Do you miss playing for the Russian national team?

– You know yourself, I was banned from boxing for the Russian national team. I got the green light to play for the Georgian national team. Thanks to Umar Nazarovich Kremlev (head of the International Boxing Association, IBA) for this opportunity. And Tatyana Kirienko (general secretary of the Russian Boxing Federation) let me go, all the documents were collected. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that I am very grateful to the Russian team. To this day, the Russian team supports me. Elementary, I can ask to hold a training camp with the team, and they won’t refuse me. They consider me theirs there, and I consider the Russian national team as my team,” Kushitashvili told .

In September 2020, the court found Giorgi Kushitashvili guilty of unlawful possession of drugs without intent to sell and using violence against a government official. The athlete was sentenced to three years of probation. Also, the boxer was expelled from the Russian national team and was not allowed to participate in the national championships.

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