By Oleksandr Kozhukhar
KYIV (Reuters) -Undisputed heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk has been launched after detention by law-enforcement officers at Poland’s Krakow airport, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Wednesday.
“I used to be outraged by this perspective in direction of our citizen and champion,” Zelenskiy stated on the Telegram messaging app.
“Our champion was launched and nobody is detaining him anymore.”
It was not instantly clear why the 37-year-old Usyk was detained. The WBC, WBO and WBA champion, who additionally gained gold on the 2012 London Olympics, has been a nationwide hero aiding Kyiv’s warfare efforts.
Poland’s overseas and inside ministries didn’t instantly reply to Reuters’ requests for feedback.
“Associates, every thing is okay,” Usyk stated in an Instagram publish. “There was a misunderstanding that was shortly resolved. Thanks to everybody who was involved.”
He added, “Respect to the Polish legislation enforcement officers who carry out their duties no matter top, weight, arm span, and titles.”
Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on X that his ministry will contact the Polish overseas ministry, because it thought of the detention “disproportionate and unacceptable in relation to our champion.”
Polish TVP Data, a tv information channel run by state broadcaster TVP, revealed a social media video on its web site exhibiting Polish law-enforcement officers strolling the handcuffed Usyk by means of what seemed to be an airport.
Reuters was not in a position to independently confirm the video.
Usyk beat Tyson Fury in Could to change into undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion in an exhilarating contest on the Kingdom Enviornment in Riyadh.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian is the primary boxer to carry all 4 main heavyweight belts on the identical time and the primary undisputed champ for the reason that finish of Lennox Lewis’ reign in April 2000.
Usyk’s charity fund, Usyk Basis, aids Kyiv’s forces within the warfare that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion towards Ukraine in 2022. It buys, amongst others, ambulances and delivers humanitarian assist to the entrance line.
Usyk’s spouse, Yekaterina Usyk, who posted a blurred photograph of her husband surrounded by uniformed officers, stated in an Instagram publish in English that she was grateful her husband was free after a misunderstanding.
(Reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Extra reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney;Writing by Lidia Kelly; Modifying by Rod Nickel and Shri Navaratnam)
