Brizel Disagrees Editorial: Russian Boxing Federation Will Boycott 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
General Secretary Umar Kremlev of The Russian Boxing Federation, in an official statement released this week to Associated Press, stated all Russian amateur boxers will boycott the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games next year. Sec. Kremlev said he has spoken to the members of the Russian Federation 2020 Olympic boxing team, and they have unanimously rejected the conditions laid out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as unwarranted punishment against Russian athletes representing their country, due to other Russian individuals who were previously found to have manipulated the doping data of amateur athletes. Kremlev said boxers are being asked to shoulder the blame for offenses committed in other sports. He said they would still stay at home even if Russian athletes in other sports decided to go to Tokyo as neutral athletes. If the anti-Russian WADA sanctions are not overturned, Kremlev said the Russian Olympic boxing team would boycott the Olympics and turn pro rather than compete. This reporter disagrees.
“They (our Russian Olympic boxers) said we won’t go (to participate in Tokyo 2020) without our (Russian National) flag (being displayed) and (the playing of our Russian national) anthem. We are not going for (winning) medals, but for the feeling we brought the highest honor home for our country (by participating on behalf of the Russian Federation in the Olympic Games). If other sports are guilty and people have breached the WADA code, why are we (not others) punished? We are for honest sport (sportsmanship) and against doping. We want our sport to be clean.” However, this reporter feels all athletes eligible should compete in the Olympics free from outside political interference.
Russia is a major power in both amateur and Olympic boxing. It hosted both the men’s and women’s world championships in 2019, finishing at the top of the medals table in the women’s events, and second overall in the men’s championships. The International Olympic Committee took charge of boxing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after criticizing chronic financial problems and infighting at the International Boxing Association. The official Russian Federation’s decision on whether or not to appeal and dispute the sanctions will be made on December 19, 2019, by the Russian Federation Anti-Doping Agency (RADA) supervisory board. Senior Russian political and sports figures including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have indicated a preference for taking the WADA Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This reporter feels if the Russian Federation has a legitimate appeal regarding WADA and boxing, it should appeal.
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