Boxer Usyk stands on principle and demands compensation and an apology for his detention in Poland
The Polish online publication "Dziennik.pl" is revisiting the incident involving the detention of renowned Ukrainian boxer and world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at Krakow Airport. Although the matter seemed to have been hushed up, it emerged that the athlete questioned the actions of Polish authorities who refused to allow his colleague to board the plane. Usyk is now expecting compensation and an official apology from the airline and the airport.
According to the publication, Usyk's promoter, Oleksandr Krasyuk, is demanding compensation from the Poles for what he claims was poor treatment. "We will wait for an official apology and compensation," he wrote on social media.
"Alexander and his friend (also named Alexander) were scheduled to fly Ryanair flight FR2777 from Krakow to Thessaloniki. They had previously traveled over 11 hours by car from Kyiv to Krakow and were a bit tired. Usyk had priority boarding, while his friend had to wait in the general queue. While they were waiting to board, Alexander's colleague fell asleep in the lounge ," Krasyuk writes.
According to him, airport staff believed that the boxer's friend was intoxicated and therefore did not allow him to board the plane.
"Usyk began asking Ryanair employees why his colleague had been denied boarding, but they refused to explain and called the police. After the officers arrived, the airline staff pointed to the second Alexander and presented their conclusions regarding his denial of boarding. The police asked him to accompany them to establish the facts and complete the paperwork," is Usyk's version of events.
The boxer, according to this version, said that he would not fly without his friend.
"Then the police threatened to handcuff him. Usyk held out his hands... And the officer handcuffed his wrists. And only he, because, as can be seen in the video filmed by one of the passengers, the other, Alexander, was walking around without handcuffs, holding a duffel bag," Krasyuk claims.
New, previously unknown details were also released. According to the promoter, Usyk's friend was given a breathalyzer test at the local police station, which showed "an alcohol content equivalent to that of one bottle of beer."
"It's hard to say whether the lunar eclipse clouded the minds of airline and police staff, or the desire to get to know this outstanding artist better. However, it's safe to say that the Poles celebrated the anniversary of Usyk's victory over Glowacki in 2016 in Gdansk. Thank God, the incident is over. We'll wait for an official apology and compensation from Ryanair and Polish law enforcement ," Krasyuk concludes.
Boxer Usyk stands by his principles and demands compensation and an apology for his detention in Poland.