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Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the World Boxing Council (WBC)announced on Tuesday that his body will not endorse fights with Russian or Belarusian boxers because of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“We have decided that we will not sanction functions with a boxerIt is Russians and Belarusians. It’s a terrible decision but necessary to show that the world of sport, of boxing and that we all want peace“, said.
The president of the World Boxing Council explained that this determination will be maintained until there is an end to the war conflict in which Russia is supported by Belarus against Ukraine.
“Initially we would not sanction fights in Russia, but seeing the seriousness of the situation we decided not sanction fights involving Russian and Belarusian boxers until there is a definite move towards peace”.
Sulaimán stressed that the determination not to endorse contests in which Russian and Belarusian boxers appear will also be adopted by the World Organization and the International Boxing Federation.
“I am pleased to have a common front with the organizations of the Organization and the Federation to show the world that these conflicts they must be solved on a desktop and not in the way it is being done”, he stressed.
The WBC chief mentioned that with this position he does not intend to side with any nation.
“Any act of war is absolutely reprehensibleIt is not to look for culprits or to be on one side or the other, we cannot see that innocent people die and how soldiers from Ukraine and Russia die”, he emphasized.
The leader acknowledged regret because with this announcement many people who work at the World Boxing Council get hurt.
“It is a painful decision, we have many Russian friends; promoters, trainers, judges, boxers, that’s why we want this to be reactivated as soon as possiblethe only thing we want is for peace to return to Ukraine”.
Sulaimán did not want to comment on the fight scheduled for May 7 between the Russian Dmitry Bivol, World Boxing Association (WBA) Light Heavyweight Champion absolute monarch of the super middleweights Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez.
“I prefer not to comment at this time on that fight, at this time what matters is this union between the different organizations that have come together to seek peace”, he said regarding the contest that will be sanctioned by the WBA.
The fight between Bivol and ‘el Canelo’ It still does not have a venue for its realization.
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Source-laopinion.com