Russian flags were held by supporters in the stands, just a few metres away from Australian fans bearing green and gold.

It was the perfect grudge match - Australia v Russia, Common Cause Alliance (CCA) member versus Umar Kremlev’s home nation.

Australia silenced the Russian supporters when Monique Suraci overcame Anna Aedma in a tight opening-round bantamweight contest at the International Boxing Association Women's World Championships in New Delhi.

The two nations came to blows again a day later and it was the same result with Emma-Sue Greentree, this time, getting the better of Saltanat Medenova in the lightweight category following a bout review.

Unlike many other CCA representatives chose to stay away from the Indian capital in light of the IBA’s decision to lift the ban on the participation of Russian and Belarusian boxers in contrary to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendations, Australia agreed to send a team.

"We are here to compete," a defiant Santiago Nieva, the head coach of the Australian team, told insidethegames.

"I never got told anything other than to come here.

"We are staying out of politics, our focus was to come here to get good results."

Boxing Australia was not alone with fellow CCA members France and Philippines opting to participate.

According to Russia’s official state news agency TASS, the French Boxing Federation said it wanted to "remain neutral" as it looks to get athletes, including Rio 2016 gold medallist Estelle Mossely, prepared for a home Olympic Games in Paris next year.

Boxing New Zealand - another CCA member - said it would "prefer" if athletes did not attend yet a six-strong team flew to the Indian capital.

It is reported that as many as 25 governing bodies are part of the CCA.

In the end, 11 nations shunned the event, with only some also announcing that they would not compete at the Men’s World Championships, scheduled to be held in Uzbek capital Tashkent in May.

After USA Boxing became the first to boycott both events on February 8 and Ireland soon followed, it looked like all the CCA members would follow suit.

But a lack of coordination has arguably softened the impact of the boycotts, with the IBA officials and New Delhi organisers expressing their delight at welcoming 300 athletes from 65 nations to fight over 10 days.

Boris van der Vorst is said to be the leader of the CCA that was created in the lead-up to last year’s controversial Presidential election where the Dutch official was wrongly prevented from challenging Kremlev before delegates decided against a re-run of the vote.

But it took his own governing body - the Dutch Boxing Federation - 11 days after the USA Boxing’s announcement to state that it would be joining the boycott.

His silence on social media has also been deafening, with his last Tweet coming almost one month ago, despite numerous opportunities to speak out.

Boxing’s future as an Olympic sport is on shaky ground.

The IBA had its IOC recognition withdrawn in June 2019 due to concerns over judging and refereeing, financial stability and governance.

Since then, a IOC Boxing Task Force handled the sport at Tokyo 2020 and it was revealed in June last year that it would also take over the running of boxing events at Paris 2024, including qualification competitions.

Boxing faces being axed from featuring at Los Angeles 2028 after being left off the initial list, leaving the sport fighting for its future.

It calls for strong leadership to help boxing avoid the dreaded drop.

Since the boycotts, this year’s Women’s World Championships has not come without its controversies.

The IBA provoked van der Vorst into making a statement when it allowed Dutch boxer Megan de Cler to appear under a neutral flag at the Opening Ceremony last Wednesday (March 15).

With the IBA offering to provide financial support to athletes from boycotting nations that still wanted to compete, de Cler and her father-turned coach flew to New Delhi.

Van der Vorst was angered by the move, claiming it "undermines the authority and independence" of the Dutch Boxing Federation and underlined "wider governance implications for the sport as a whole".

The situation put de Cler at the centre of the flag controversy - a saga that thankfully did not stop her from winning her opening bout.

Speaking after beating Tajikistan's Nilufar Boboyarova in the light welterweight division, de Cler said: "I don’t do politics.

"I am here by my own and not playing for the Netherlands.

"I do boxing that’s why I’m here."

With an athlete from both Russia and Belarusia set to be paraded on stage with their flags after the IBA controversially lifted the ban on their participation, it was never going to be a quiet Opening Ceremony.

Events on the night then took a further twist when Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin walked into the venue and sat next to Kremlev.

His appearance will no doubt have alerted the IOC and the CCA but neither have yet to comment.

It was also revealed by insidethegames that the IBA had issued a strongly-worded letter to technical officials, referes and judges warning them not to take up the IOC’s official to volunteer participate in its Olympic competitions and Paris 2024 boxing event.

If they do, the IBA said they risk possible disciplinary action.

This was yet another opportunity for the CCA for make a statement in response but again deafening silence.

The CCA was created with the mission of prioritising the perseveration of boxing’s place at the Olympics from Los Angeles 2028.

But its failure to speak out is not helping boxing cause as the IOC deliberates whether to keep the sport in the Games.