Olympic champion in speed skating, deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Svetlana Zhurova believes that the International Boxing Association (IBA) paid the price for loyalty to Russian athletes and was therefore deprived of recognition by the International Olympic Committee.
The IOC at its Thursday session decided to withdraw recognition from the IBA. Previously, the IBA allowed boxers from Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions. Athletes have competed under national flags at the Women’s and Men’s World Championships. The president of the organization is the Russian Umar Kremlev.
– They shot with this decision for guidance – so that others are not used to it. They bully the rest of the federations saying – keep your status neutral, that’s the only thing possible for Russians and Belarusians. The boxing federation had a different attitude – they supported Russia. The IOC felt it was out of control, wrong. There should be boxing in the Olympics, but now our athletes will have even more difficulty. Our step, in a good way, with a performance under the flag was understandable and could not be punished for it,” Zhurova told .
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
