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Erik Agatelyan, a Czech boxer of Armenian origin, refused to travel to Baku for participating in the international qualification tournament of the Olympic Games, which is taking place from June 16 to 26, Haqqin.az reports citing Czech media.

According to the information, Erik Agatelyan, the boxer of the Czech national team, noted that he is from Armenia, and that is why his trip to Baku is very dangerous because of the hostile attitude towards the Armenians there. “The Olympic Games are important for me, but my life is more valuable. The Armenian national team has also refused to go to Baku,” he said.

“Now Erik is in good shape, however, I understand him. The Armenian boxers of the German national team made similar decisions,” in his turn, Svatopluk Žáček, President of Czech Boxing Association, said.
Earlier, one of the leaders of the Ukraine’s amateur boxing team and bronze medal winner of the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships in the heavy weight class, Gevorg Manukyan, also refused to go to Baku to participate in the international qualification tournament of the Olympic Games in Rio, which is taking place from June 16 to 26.

When the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev was giving Gevorg Manukyan the medal the latter had wonduring the European Games last summer, people in the tribunes hissed at Manukyan.

However, the president’s one gesture was enough for the crowd to start “enthusiastically” applauding the Armenian representative of Ukraine. Commenting on the episode, Azerbaijani website Moderator.az wrote, “This case once again showcases the zombification of the Azerbaijani society, how the society in Azerbaijan can become tolerant and aggressive with a single movement of Ilham Aliyev’s hand.”