Pristina (Kosovo), Oct 25 (AP) Kosovo's boxing federation said Serbia had stopped its team entering the country to take part in the amateur world championships.

Kosovo had planned to send three competitors to the Oct. 24-Nov. 6 AIBA championships.

Also Read | MS Dhoni's Video of Him Saying, ‘India Will Lose to Pakistan Someday in a World Cup Match’ Resurfaces Following Virat Kohli and His Side's Humiliating Loss to Arch-Rivals in T20 World Cup 2021 Match.

The boxers tried to cross the border with Serbia on Saturday but were asked not to wear their sports uniforms featuring their country's logo. A repeat attempt on Sunday also failed despite efforts from the International Boxing Association, according to the Kosovo federation's secretary general Latif Demolli.

Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence. Kosovo was a Serbian province before it declared independence in 2008. That followed fighting in 1998-1999 between Serbian troops and ethnic Albanian separatists, which ended after a NATO air campaign against Serbian forces.

Also Read | ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Virat Kohli Says 'Shaheen Afridi's Spell Put Us on the Backfooot Immediately'.

AIBA said in a statement that it had contacted Serbian boxing authorities and was trying to resolve the issue, adding it aimed “to provide a welcoming home for every boxer, and the world of boxing has no borders.”

“We believe that all athletes must receive a fair chance to compete and demonstrate their best abilities in the ring," the AIBA statement said.

"Sport is intended to unite people and should be free of national politics.” (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)