The Azerbaijan Boxing Federation has sent a letter of protest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Boxing Association (IBA), the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC) and the federations of EUBC member countries in connection with the provocation committed at the opening ceremony of the EUBC European Men’s Elite Boxing Championships in Yerevan, Report informs.
“This competition should serve the noble mission of the world boxing family - to unite people and countries, to form friendship through sports,” reads the letter. “However, unfortunately, at the European Championships in Yerevan on May 22, 2022, there were cases that contradicted the Olympic Charter, did not correspond to the spirit and mission of sport. At the opening ceremony, provocative actions were allowed on the part of the host country, the so-called flag of the illegal structure was demonstrated as a “symbol” of Armenia’s territorial claims to Azerbaijan. The “symbol” displayed for provocative purposes at an event under the EUBC flag really shows the occupation policy of Armenia, and therefore such actions should be severely punished.”
The appeal emphasizes that no country organizing international events should abuse sport for political purposes in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the agreement with the host country: “We demand that the EUBC take this provocative and hostile step under strict control, accept all the necessary steps to fully investigate the incident, appropriately punish the perpetrators and those who allowed it, take important measures to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”