Azerbaijani Athlete Disqualified for Life

The Russian Boxing Federation has permanently disqualified Azerbaijani mixed martial artist Javid Rzaev from competitions after he insulted Russian athlete Arthur Kulinisk during a tournament. The organization announced this on July 4, as reported by Izvestia.

"Please note that fighter Rzaev Javid Seyid oglu has been banned for life from participating in sports and other events held under the auspices of the Russian Boxing Federation," the publication states.

The federation's press service added that law enforcement is continuing to investigate the athlete, including possible involvement in extremist activities.

Earlier, it was reported that the Boxing Federation filed a statement with the Prosecutor General's Office after the Azerbaijani sportsman called Kulinisk a 'Russian pig' during an event of the Hardcore FC league on May 22. Later, Rzaev apologized to Kulinisk, stating that he did not intend to offend the Russian people.

It is noted that following the incident, the Hardcore FC league, in collaboration with the Russian Boxing Federation, developed a series of measures aimed at strengthening the prohibition of discrimination in physical education and sports, as well as ensuring the safety of participants and spectators at such events. Additionally, the publication reported that actions have been taken to prevent extremist activities.