An amateur boxing controversy rages over coronavirus just days after the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics until 2021 because of the pandemic.
Boxing federations representing Turkey and Croatia said fighters and coaches tested positive for the virus after returning from an Olympic qualifying tournament that went on for three days in London before organizers suspended it.
Marko Marovic, president of the Croatian federation, says a fighter and two coaches have tested positive.
“Our epidemiologist says they were most likely infected during [the] Tokyo 2020 qualifier,” Marovic told BBC Sports. “Our first concern is the health of our boxing family. We are still praying that everything ends well and there will be no other positive tests.”
Eyup Gozeg, president of the Turkish federation, said two fighters and a coach tested positive.
The boxers and coaches were at the qualifying event, the Copper Box, which began on March 14, the day after soccer was suspended throughout the U.K. The event went on through March 17. Then, the International Olympic Committee’s Boxing Task Force pulled the plug.
The Turkish federation is calling the IOC’s task force irresponsible, suggesting that the tournament should have been canceled before it began.
“I just want to know, when the whole world was on high alert, why they hosted this event?’’ Turkish Federation Eyup Gozgec told BBC. “We didn’t see any hygienic standards there. There were no preventative measures.”
It’s not clear that the fighters and coaches contracted the virus during the three days of the qualifier. The IOC said its Task Force was “not aware of any link between the competition and the infection”.
According to medical experts, symptoms show up a week to 10 days after getting infected.
In a letter to the European Boxing Confederation, Gozeg wrote: “Two of our athletes [and a coach] have tested positive for [Covid-19] after returning to Turkey from London. All of them are in treatment now and thankfully are in good condition.
“This is the disastrous result of the irresponsibility of the IOC Boxing Task Force.”
In a statement, the IOC said: “Many participants were in independently organized training camps … before the competition started … and have returned home a while ago, so it is not possible to know the source of infection.
“At the time of the European qualifier in London there were many sports and other events going on in Great Britain, because there were no governmental restrictions or advice on public events in place.
“Precautionary measures before, during and in the follow-up phase of the event were implemented and the event was suspended when the Covid-19 situation developed further.’’