“[The] IBA is a global, international organization, obviously leadership [is] based in Russia, like I am personally,” Siesta adds. “I circulate amongst three countries, Dubai, which is the Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, [where he is in] London, Southampton, and Moscow at the moment. There was an office in Switzerland and it is still functioning, but I haven’t visited the office yet. It’s paralyzing. I’ll be honest with you. It’s paralyzing, not for me, because I’m a British passport holder, but for the athletes from the countries of the ex-Soviet Bloc. I know it’s not fashionable to say that ex-Soviet bloc, but that’s such an easy term for people to latch on to. For example, all those 15 republics, and they are big boxing nations, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and it’s crazy.
IBA ‘working on’ potential deal with Artur Beterbiev despite geopolitical unrest
