Boxing Canada joins widening boycott of women's world championships

Boxing Canada announced Tuesday it would not take part the upcoming women's world championships due to the involvement of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

The national sport organization joins a growing list of countries, led by the U.S. and also including England and the Czech Republic, in choosing to skip the event. Other countries have said their athletes will attend but withdraw in case they're matched against Russian or Belarusian opponents.

The International Boxing Association's Russian president has insisted on letting Russian fighters compete with their country's flag and anthem, defying the International Olympic Committee's December recommendation that "no flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications of these countries can be displayed at any international sports competition/event or meeting."

Boxing Canada president Ryan O'Shea said in a press release the decision not to participate is out of respect to the "values of the Olympic movement.

The women's world championships are scheduled to take place from March 24-26 in India. 

British governing body GB Boxing also cited a rift between the IBA and the IOC which has endangered boxing's place on the Olympic program.

"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 program," GB Boxing said in a statement.

"GB Boxing condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has solidarity with the people, boxers, coaches and officials of Ukraine."

Czech Boxing Association Marek Simak confirmed a boycott in comments to Czech public radio. The U.S. said