Former world boxing champion Kostya Tszyu: the USSR flag is more important to me than the Russian one 
Former boxing champion Kostya Tszyu admitted that feelings when he won under the flag of the USSR. The interview was published in RBC.
52-year-old Tszyu, holder of Russian and Australian citizenship, admitted his special feelings for the Soviet flag. “For some time I entered the ring under the flag of Russia and Australia. But then he stopped doing it. All the same, I left another country – the USSR. For me, the Soviet flag and the Russian tricolor have different values. What's more important? USSR flag. When you stand on the podium and the anthem of your country is played in your honor, it is very touching, ”he said.
In the same interview, Tszyu shared his opinion on the reasons for the unpopularity of purchasing paid sports broadcasts in Russia. He attributed this to the peculiarities of the mentality of the country's inhabitants.
Tszyu played in the first welterweight division. He became the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) world champion. He won 31 victories with two defeats and one draw in the professional ring.
Tszyu became the USSR champion among juniors. He represented the Soviet Union at the Seoul Games and made his way to the quarterfinals of the tournament. In 1989 and 1990 he won the European Championship. In 1991, Tszyu became the world champion at the tournament in Sydney.