By Canadian Press

Boxing Canada to boycott women’s championships over Russian, Belarusian involvement

Feb 14, 2023 | 10:02 AM

TORONTO — Boxing Canada announced Tuesday it is joining a boycott of the upcoming women’s world championships due to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

President Ryan O’Shea said in a statement that Boxing Canada has “significant concerns” around the sport’s future due to what he calls “continued corruption within the International Boxing Association.”

O’Shea said Boxing Canada will work to find a suitable replacement tournament for Canadian boxers to prepare for the Pan American Games qualifiers and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Canada joins the United States, Britain, Ireland and Czechia among countries not sending boxers to the women’s championships, March 15-26 in New Delhi, India. 

The U.S., Ireland and Czechia are also boycotting the men’s championships May 1-14 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, while Great Britain Boxing said in a statement that it is reviewing its involvement. Boxing Canada’s release did not mention the men’s championships.

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In announcing its boycott on Wednesday, USA Boxing cited longstanding governance issues at the IBA, which is suspended from the Olympics, and the IBA’s decision to allow Russia and its ally Belarus to compete with flags and anthems after the invasion of Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee administered boxing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 directly and is managing the qualifiers for 2024. Boxing has been left off the program for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles so far but could be included at a later date.

The IBA is led by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev.
 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2023.

— With files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press