The reception of Russian and Belarusian in Women’s World Boxing Championships which will begin on the 15th in New Delhi will lead to at least eleven countries refused to participatea position that is the president of the Spanish federation (FEBOXEO), Felipe Martínez, not sharing because he thinks “sport is a way to unite, not to separate”.
“The solution is not to boycott a World Cup, that is very clear to me”he told EFE in an interview in which he showed his support for the work of the controversial president of the International (IBA), the Russian Umar Kremlev.
“He has done a lot for boxing. If it wasn’t for the (Ukrainian) war, I think the IBA would have been recognized again by the IOC,” said Felipe Martínez about the suspension declared by the Olympic body against the federation in 2019 for various irregularities.
The Spanish team for New Delhi will be formed at 48 kg Marta López, at 50 kg Laura Fuertes (bronze in 2022), at 52 kg María González, at 54 kg María del Carmen Madueño, at 57 kg Jénifer Fernández and at +81 kg Zaira García.
Q. Spain will participate in the Women’s World Championships. Have you ever thought of supporting the boycott of other countries like the United States, Canada, Ukraine or Great Britain?
R. We will not stop attending the World Cup or join any sports boycott. We are not here for that. Especially if it is for political reasons. Our thing is to play sports. We owe it to our athletes, who have to compete and get results, because they live on scholarships. We will not join any boycott to make the world championship fall.
Q. Do you currently consider it possible for Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians to compete together?
R. I think, in the end, sport is a way to unite, not to separate. That is our philosophy. The more they compete, the better. I understand that there are political conflicts, but there are many others in the world, in addition to the war in Ukraine, and that is why we have not stopped competing.
Q. The IBA suspended by the IOC, President Umar Kremlev asked strongly… What way do you see this crisis?
R. I come from a period in the Executive of the IBA, from which I recently left, and I know that very hard work was done to try to change the scoring systems and meet all the criteria requested by the IOC. There was even earlier recognition on his part. But after the extraordinary meeting (to re-elect the Kremlin) I don’t know what they could interpret in terms of lack of transparency and they retreated again. The fact that the president is Russian, I think, is one of the important things. But it was voted democratically.
Q. The IOC-IBA positions seem increasingly distant. The IOC has seen no progress on the reforms it has called for.
R. We have no choice but to wait, but the solution is not to boycott a World Cup, it is very clear to me. International must continue to do this and demonstrate that the systems it applies are working. Krumlev made significant contributions to boxing, including financial prizes for athletes that had never been awarded before. For me personally, he does a good job. Right now it’s handicapped by being Russian, but if it wasn’t for the war I think the IOC would recognize us.
Q. Does the suspension of the IBA, leaving it out of the distribution of IOC funds, have an economic impact on the Spanish federation?
A. It doesn’t directly affect us, but International is a lot, it’s funded however it can be done. The main sponsor is Gazprom (Russian gas company), which I don’t think will help much either (to lift the suspension). But there’s no rule that says it can’t happen. The Higher Sports Council distributes subsidies to us, the Spanish federation, according to our results. Today we are an Olympic sport.
Q. But in Los Angeles 2028 for now boxing is not included, waiting for the IBA to comply with what the IOC is asking here. What does exclusion mean?
A. That would be a huge disservice to our sport. We now have opponents to not have the tool of visibility and recognition that the Games envisioned. We are very concerned about what might happen, but I think ultimately the IOC needs to see all the work we do.
Q. It remains to be seen how the Russia issue will be resolved at the 2024 Paris Games.
R. This is a problem, because there are countries that demand that the Russians do not attend the Games. Until now, there is no clear vision. No one wanted war, we helped the Ukrainian athletes who were training with us. But I don’t know why, if nothing has been decided for 2024, a boxing World Cup should be boycotted now. Let the IOC make a clear statement.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
