Russian Olympic Committee welcomes IBA's decision to lift suspension from Russian, Belarusian boxers - ROC president

MOSCOW. Oct 5 (Interfax) - Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov has welcomed the International Boxing Association's (IBA) decision to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes to its competitions.

"We can only welcome the International Boxing Association's decision. A lot has lately been said about changing the rhetoric at the level of the International Olympic Committee and sports federations as regards the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions. Now we see the first practical steps," Pozdnyakov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.

"It is important now to wait for the implementation of today's decision for all of this to be taking place at the purely sporting level," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the IBA Board of Directors voted for lifting the suspension of boxers from Russia and Belarus from competitions under its aegis. Now they will be entitled to compete with their national flags and anthems.

The IBA suspended Russian and Belarusian boxers in March 2022 over the situation in Ukraine.