World Boxing Championships: Great Britain's men will not compete over Russian flag concerns
- Published
GB Boxing also decided not to compete at March's Women's World Championships
Great Britain has chosen to boycott the men's World Boxing Championships over concerns about Russian participation.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) will let Russian and Belarusian boxers compete under their countries' flags at the tournament in Uzbekistan.
It contravenes International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidance that Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete under a neutral flag.
In February, GB's women also boycotted their World Championships.
The men's event runs from 30 April-14 May.
GB Boxing said the decision to boycott the tournament "reflects ongoing concerns about the future of boxing's place on the Olympic programme and the recent decision by IBA to allow teams of boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags, which contravenes the IOC's position on the participation of athletes from these countries".
The statement continued: "This has put further distance between IBA and the Olympic movement in addition to the significant, longstanding issues over sporting integrity, governance, transparency and financial management which the IOC has asked IBA to address to protect boxing's place on the Olympic programme.
"GB Boxing condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has solidarity with the people, boxers, coaches and officials of Ukraine."
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the IOC had called on sports federations to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus.
However, last week the International Olympic Committee recommended that athletes from those countries are allowed to compete, but under a neutral flag.
The IBA has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2019 over governance issues and alleged corruption.
Boxing at the Tokyo Olympics was organised by the IOC and will be again for Paris 2024, but beyond that the sport has been left off the initial programme for Los Angeles 2028 as the IBA has refused to implement changes the IOC wants.
GB Boxing will send a team to the European Games in Poland, where the majority of places for the Paris Olympics will be won, which take place from 21 June until 2 July.