Western countries, including the US and the United Kingdom, are boycotting the Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi due to their "ego clash with Russia", a senior official of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), the Indian sports body organizing the competition, said on Thursday.
The remarks of Hemanta Kumar Kalita, who serves as the secretary general of the BFI, came following controversy erupting at the tournament's venue on Wednesday after flags of Russia and Belarus were unfurled during the event's opening ceremony.
"65 countries are participating in the event. If 10 countries are not a part of the competition, it is not a big issue for us and this would not have much impact on the championships" Kalita told Sputnik. "These nations are not participating because their candidate lost the AIBA presidential election to a Russian, resulting in an ego clash with Moscow."
The International Boxing Association, the global governing body of boxing, is currently headed by Umar Kremlev, a Russian sports functionary.
Notably, the Women's World Boxing Championships are the first major sporting event where Russian and Belarusian athletes will take part under their respective flags.
After Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from representing their country in sporting competitions. However, they were allowed to take part in events as "neutral" athletes sans the Russian flag and jersey.
Other major sporting bodies that banned Russian sports persons were FIFA, UEFA, and Wimbledon.
Coming back to the boxing event in Delhi, while the US, UK, and Canada have pulled out citing India's permission to allow Russian athletes with their nation's flag and attire, French boxers decided against withdrawing from the tournament.
"I am aware of what is happening in the world, but again, politics is taking sport hostage and that is unacceptable," French Boxing Federation chief Dominique Nato had told reporters on Tuesday.