Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk has no interest in entering politics, he said in an interview with NV on Aug. 24.
"I won't leave boxing – it will always be with me. I will work in boxing, I will help boxing. It's a part of my life," Usyk said.
However, a career transition into politics would not be unprecedented in Ukraine. Vitalii Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, began his career as a professional boxer.
According to Usyk, politics is "when you sometimes have to say something you won't do" and he "can't reconcile it with (his) conscience."
At the same time, when asked where he saw himself in the next 10 years, the boxer expressed a readiness to potentially become the Youth and Sports Minister, saying that it was outside the realm of politics.
"It’s not a political position — it’s a managerial one. Such work is for sports and for the country. If the country needs it, I will work for it just as I am doing now. For me, politics means being a member of parliament," Usyk explained.
He also said that he could become the next president of the Boxing Federation of Ukraine someday.
Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight world champion after defeating British boxer Tyson Fury back in May.
A rematch between the two boxers has been scheduled for this upcoming December.
