Ukrainian boxer Usyk and his coach denied boarding flight for being "not fit to travel" before being detained
ESPN, a reputable American sports TV channel, says Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk and his coach Serhii Lapin had been denied boarding a flight before being detained at Kraków airport because they were "not fit to travel".
Source: Champion, a sports news platform within Ukrainska Pravda’s holding company, citing ESPN
Details: A source reported that Usyk and his trainer, Lapin, were denied boarding a flight to Valencia, where Usyk was set to begin preparations for a rematch with Tyson Fury, after an airline employee deemed them unfit to travel.
The boxer tried to explain that they were fit to fly and simply exhausted from the nearly 14-hour journey from Kyiv. Despite the language barrier and Usyk's insistence that they were well, he was detained.
Background:
- Polish customs officials detained Usyk at Kraków airport on the evening of 17 September. Following the incident, the boxer's wife, Kateryna, reassured the public that there was no cause for concern.
- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally intervened in the situation.
- Zelenskyy said such actions by the Polish side were unacceptable and reported that the boxer had been released.
- The boxer was released just over an hour after being detained, though no details about the incident were provided.
- Afterwards, Usyk himself commented on the incident, and the director of the Ukrainian boxer's team, Serhii Lapin, explained that the detention was due to the customs control service, which had neglected its duties.
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