NEW YORK: A black American boxer who has been granted honorary Russian citizenship by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, says he will use his sport to bridge gap between the United States and Russia. According to a report posted online and Yahoo news, the boxer, Roy Jones Jr, met the Russian leader in Crimea and brought up the possibility of receiving Russian citizenship.

In exchange for agreeing to spend a majority of his time in the country, Putin has issued a decree, honoring Jones’ request, the report said.

The 46-year-old boxer believes that by receiving Russian nationality, he can use the sport to “build a bridge” between Russia and the United States, as well as establish some personal goals, which include earning “two to three billion dollars” and developing his rap career.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015

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