Several members of Russia’s national boxing team have posted online pictures or videos that appear to show them flouting self-isolation rules imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The Russian national boxing team returned home last week after an Olympic qualification tournament in London was halted on 16 March because of the rapidly spreading virus. Two Turkish boxers and one coach tested positive for coronavirus after returning home from the event and there were reports that three members of the Croatian delegation had also tested positive.

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All Russians coming back from abroad must self-isolate for two weeks, barring them from attending work and school, and minimise their presence in public places. But several national team boxers posted images of themselves, or were identified in pictures and videos, taken at training facilities or in public.

Gabil Mamedov, who competes in the men’s lightweight class, posted a video of himself on Instagram on Monday at a boxing club in Orenburg, 1,230 km (760 miles) south-east of Moscow. He is sitting on the edge of a boxing ring, where five people are training, and there are other individuals visible in the background. It was accompanied with a hashtag in Russian saying “We are quarantining” and showed him encouraging followers not to despair during the coronavirus outbreak. “Don’t be upset, don’t worry. Together we will beat the virus. Practise boxing,” Mamedov said.

Mamedov deleted the post shortly after publishing it. He later posted another video showing him alone as he shadowboxed in what appears to be a living room. Mamedov did not respond to a request for comment.

Rasul Saliev, who competes in the flyweight class, posted a video on Instagram on 19 March showing him visiting a cafe in Makhachkala, in Russia’s southern Dagestan region, where he was drinking tea and eating dates with two people. On Wednesday, Saliev uploaded a picture of himself and two other people taken at another cafe.

While Saliev’s posts on Instagram’s Stories were not dated, the feature is used almost exclusively for events happening the same day. Saliev did not respond to a request for comment.

Umar Kremlev, president of the Russian Boxing Federation, said he was aware that some national-team boxers had not followed self-isolation rules and that the federation was now working to avoid further violations. “They just went out to train,” Kremlev said. “You must understand that a professional athlete trains every day and can’t live without it.” He did not mention specific cases.