Russian boxers are threatening to boycott the 2020 Olympics if they can’t compete for their country.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has banned Russian athletes from using their team name, flag and anthem in most major sports for four years. That includes the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The ruling, announced Monday, comes after the Russian Anti-Doping Agency was found to have manipulated laboratory data given to investigators in January.
Russians can compete as neutral athletes if they demonstrate that they are untainted by the latest doping scandal involving the country.
That’s not good enough for the boxers, who said they will either compete for Russia or not compete at all. Umar Kremlev, general secretary of the Russian Boxing Federation, told The Associated Press, that the boxers “unanimously” rejected the conditions to compete dictated by WADA.
They said they would turn pro rather compete as neutral amateur athletes.
“They said we won’t go without our flag and anthem,” Kremlev said. “We aren’t going for medals, but for that feeling that I brought the highest honor home for my country.”
Kremlev said justice isn’t being served by punishing boxers for the offenses of other athletes.
“If other sports are guilty and people have breached the WADA code, why are we punished?” he said. “We are for honest sport and against doping. We want our sport to be clean … If someone breaks the rules, we push them out.”