Leaving Boxing Gloves And Racquets Behind, Ukrainian Athletes Double Up As Soldiers

Other current and former Ukrainian athletes have also joined the army in recent days during the Ukrainian existential crisis. Ukrainian sports legends, from boxing champions to football stars and former tennis players, have joined the fight against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian sports legends, past and present, have decided to put their sports equipment in favor of weapons to protect themselves from Russia.

As Ukrainians rally around their president Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainians are also being inspired by bold leaders with sporting backgrounds, including two former world heavyweight boxing champions, brothers Vitaliy and Wladimir Klitschko. Over the past week, we have seen sports figures take on more symbolism than usual in Ukraine and beyond. Earlier this week, Vitaliy appeared on CNN discussing the Russian invasion and the courage of Ukrainian soldiers. After a long period of tension between Russia and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine, in the eastern part of Donbass, in a televised speech today.

Indeed, Russian President Vladimir Putin has also asked Ukrainian soldiers who are fighting the Russian-backed rebels to lay down their arms and return to their homes. Ukraine's struggle for survival against the Russian invasion has united Ukraine. Several cities in Ukraine came under attack as Russia launched an invasion of Russia by land and sea. Do not let Russian boys into Ukraine, do not fight with us.

Vitalis, 50, brother Vladimir, also a former world heavyweight champion, also volunteered to fight. A native of Ukraine Yuriy Vernidub greeted his employees for hitchhiking. He has now returned to Ukraine and joined the army to defend his own. Last weekend, 36-year-old professional tennis player Serhiy Stakhovsky announced that Serhiy Stakhovsky was enlisted in one of the reserve military units of Ukraine.

Oleksandr Usyk, a Ukrainian, returned to Ukraine last week from the UK, where he participated in promotional activities for the eSports Boxing Club game. Upon his return, Oleksandr Usyk, a Ukrainian, said he had joined Kyiv's territorial defense, and online photos of him show him holding a large machine gun. The face was thrown into the air after Oleksandr Usyk signed up to serve in the territorial guard of Kyiv.

Oleksandr Usyk, the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and the current WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion, faced Anthony Joshua in a rematch. Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine celebrates a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Joshua of Great Britain in a fight for the WBA (super), WBO and IBF titles in London on September 25, 2021.

Former world boxing champion and one of Ukraine's most famous athletes, Wladimir Klitschko, is confident that Ukraine will remain strong in the military escalation with Russia that has sparked global unrest. The 45-year-old former Olympic champion and the man who won the world heavyweight championship twice among professionals tweeted to express solidarity with his compatriots after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of the armed forces. operation in eastern Ukraine. Former tennis player Sergei Stakhovsky almost hopes I won't have to use a gun," the former world No. 31 who defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2013 told the BBC.

Winnipeg goaltender Svyatik Artemenko, 22, stood in line for hours to join the Ukrainian military. His mentor of the Ukrainian FC Sheriff Yuriy Vernidub, who just five months ago beat the Spanish giants Real Madrid, joined the army. Lomachenko, who had hoped to fight George Kambosos for the undisputed lightweight title, returned to Ukraine to be with his family, flying to Bucharest and then via Romania after his pre-flight to Ukraine from Greece. Earth.