First, Smirnovs, who won two titles of the Latvian champion in amateur competition, published a photo on the social website in which he is seen with a Russian passport.
“Now it’s no longer a secret,” wrote the 29-year-old boxer, who has won five fights in the professional ring, in Russian. “A few months ago, I was involved in an unusual event. Today, I accepted Russian citizenship at the embassy in Riga and received a passport.”
“Look and envy, now I am a citizen” wrote Smirnov.
Not long after that, Smirnov writes on his Instagram account that he did not expect such a stir.
“I have a question for you journalists, how can you publish news like this without verifying the information!?” writes the joker. “One wrote and everyone reposted it. It’s very unprofessional.”
“It turns out that you can write about anything just because someone said something? Without facts and evidence? Ridiculous,” writes Smirnov.
“I am glad that I have a Latvian passport and I am not going to change it,” he writes. “We have a wonderful country and please don’t believe everything you read in the news,” he urges.
“I wish that the wars in all the countries of the world will end soon and that we all live in peace, friendship and love,” adds Smirnov. “I am against war wherever it happens, I am for peace all over the world.”
At the same time, Smirnov’s “Instagram” cover photo has a photo with boxer gloves and the Russian flag on his shirt.
Smirnovs fought his last fight in the professional ring in October 2020, when he met Kristaps Zuti in a heavyweight duel. There was no winner in the fight, as both boxers were disqualified.
In all five other fights, Smirnov won, three of them by knockout.
2024-08-14 06:07:58