Wed Sep 18 02:59:00 UTC 2024: ## Ukrainian Champion Usyk Detained at Krakow Airport, Sparking Diplomatic Row
Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk was detained at Krakow airport in Poland on Wednesday, sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries.
Usyk, currently holding the WBC, WBO, and WBA heavyweight titles, was seen in handcuffs by Polish news channel TVP Info. His wife later posted a blurred video on Instagram showing him surrounded by officers, confirming he was released and had not been arrested.
The boxer attributed the incident to a misunderstanding, but did not disclose further details. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his outrage at the police’s treatment of “our citizen and champion” on Telegram, and ordered an investigation. He later reposted a photo of Usyk with Ukraine’s consul general in Krakow on X (formerly Twitter).
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha deemed the detention “disproportionate and unacceptable” and contacted the Polish Foreign Ministry, stating that Ukraine “immediately responded to the detention of Oleksandr Usyk in Krakow and facilitated his release.”
Usyk, who defeated British boxer Tyson Fury in May to become the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000, is considered a national hero in Ukraine. The incident has raised tensions between the two countries and is expected to be further investigated.
First Piper 