(Clockwise from left) Sergiy Stakhovsky, Klitschko brothers, Yuriy Vernydub. Sport’s wry takedown as ‘War Minus shooting’ alludes to the jingoism often associated with supporting partisan teams. But Ukraine’s proud sports legends, washed-out yesteryear stars and young athletes, find themselves embroiled in a desperate war-plus-shooting scenario where they feel duty-bound to pick up arms after the Russian invasion of their country.
Unsurprisingly, leading the way are the country’s iconic boxers.
Klitschko brothers
Multiple World heavyweight title holder Vitali Klitschko, now Mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, told British breakfast show Good Morning Britain on March 25 that: “I don’t have another choice, I have to do that. I’ll be fighting.” The 50-year-old who won super heavyweight gold at the World Military Games in 1995, has been an iconic face of defiance. Russia has dragged the son of a former Soviet major general, and later-day well-living icon, away from his Bentleys and BMWs right into pitched battles defending Kiev.
Meet Kyiv Vitali Klitschko. He is the mayor of Kyiv and former Heavyweight Champion of the World.
His Facebook Live just now:“My message to the world:
ACT NOW – STOP THIS WAR!”#StopRussia #StopTheWar#Klitschko #klitschkoBrothers #StayWithUkraine #Ukraine #StayTogether pic.twitter.com/689lJoeqwc— Whitney Sich🌻🇺🇦 (@WhitSich) February 26, 2022
Former Boxing Champions, The Klitschko Brothers, are staying in Ukraine to fight. Vitali Klitschko is the mayor of Kiev. #UkraineInvasion #UkraineUnderAttack #UkraineWar #UkraineRussie pic.twitter.com/emcvNoqCf6
— Flash News (@flash_news11) February 26, 2022
His brother Wladimir – of the left jab fame – was to travel to New York this summer, and get inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota. But the younger sibling will pick arms too.
Though Vitali’s viral image in combat gear was fact-checked by Reuters as dating back to March 2021 during a training exercise, it has galvanised a country battling heavy odds with the Mayor on the streets with former and current presidents. Wladimir, with a 64/69 record with over 50 KOs, adds to the surreal frame.
Lomachenko & Usyk
Vasiliy Lomachenko was the latest to post a photo on Facebook where he was seen battle-ready as part of the Belgorod-Dnestrovsky Territorial Defence Battalion.
Vasiliy Lomachenko arguably the best pound 4 pound boxer in the world flew to Ukraine to fight and defend his country!@VasylLomachenko👊🏽#UkraineRussiaWar #KidVicious👊🏽 pic.twitter.com/6nbDVkI6AQ
— KID VICIOUS🔪 (@kirkacevedo) February 28, 2022
Oleksandr Usyk, who was due to meet Anthony Joshua this summer, also enlisted after a desperately sad post, where he spelt out the compelling need to hit the combat front. In a video on social media over the weekend, he addressed Putin and sought to speak to the “people of Russia”.
“You are not at war with our government, our army. You are at war with the people. This is our land. We are at home.”
Ukraine’s heavyweight champion of the world Oleksandr Usyk with a powerful message to Vladimir Putin and the people of Russia: “Stop attacking us. Stop this war.”#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/xpQdy4j86z
— Beth Boykins (@BethBoykins22) February 26, 2022
“I’d like to speak to the people of Russia. If we consider ourselves as brothers, traditional ones, then do not let your children to set foot in our country, do not fight with us.
“Also, I’m addressing this to the President Vladimir Putin. You can stop this war. Please just sit down and negotiate it with us without claims. Our kids, wives, grannies are hiding in the basements… We are here in our own country, we cannot do it other way – we are defending. Stop it! Stop this war.”
Yaroslav Amosov, welterweight title-holder who was born in Irpin, Ukraine, announced he would stay put to “defend this country as best I can” against Russia, after depositing his family in a safe-zone.
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Dnipro sets up battalion; Real Madrid conqueror returns to fight
One of Ukraine’s top-tier clubs Dnipro organised a volunteer fighting unit to defend against creeping Russians. Club president Yuri Bereza valiantly said, “I have created a volunteer battalion to protect the city of Dnipro and Dnipropetrovsk region, against an invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine.”
Sheriff Tiraspol’s Ukrainian manager Yuriy Vernydub, who stunned Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu just five months back, has joined the territorial army. Born in northern Ukraine, the manager working in Moldova bid his team goodbye to join the vanguard.
Last September, Yuriy Vernydub led his FC Sheriff to a famous victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League.
He has now returned to Ukraine and joined the army to help defend his country. pic.twitter.com/UJdEMaBHtg
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 1, 2022
Amongst footballers, Sporting Gijon star Vasyl Kravets said he was willing to forsake his football career for guarding his homeland. “They are killing people, civilians, in hospitals. It’s all Putin’s fault, I don’t want to say it’s Russia’s fault, but Putin’s,” Kravets told Marca. “We are a country that wants to live in peace. We don’t want to attack anyone, we want to live well and calm. I tell the truth: I want to go to war and help my people,” said the young player who’s never loaded a gun. “It is obligatory for the heart of Ukrainians.”
Ukrainian-origin Winnipeg football goalkeeper, Svyatik Artemenko, 22, waited hours in a line to enlist with Ukraine’s armed forces on Friday — a day after Russia invaded the country.
“Deep down inside there’s always the fear of losing my life, and obviously it’s a war, so it’s normal to feel a bit of fear,” Artemenko told the media. “But the feeling of pride and taking responsibility, it surpasses the sense of fear.”
Biathletes to serve in guard
Two Olympic participants, biathlete Dmytro Pidruchny – a Beijing Games medallist, and Dmytro Mazurchuk, a Nordic combination skier, also enlisted. Pidruchny told SVT Sport what he had written on his post: “Do not say that sport is not related to politics. It’s related. Soldiers and civilians in my motherland die while reading this. I beg you, do not stay away.”
Tennis pro Stakhovsky ready to fight
Ukrainian former World No. 31 Sergiy Stakhovsky said he had no military experience but saw “no reason why” people could sit back and watch. In 2013, Stakhovsky knocked out defending champion Roger Federer from Wimbledon.
🇺🇦Tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky tearfully reveals he is going back to Ukraine to join the army and fight against the Russian invasion.pic.twitter.com/2mIlY707d9
— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) February 26, 2022
He told Sky News he had joined the reserves and was ready to take on the Russians at 36.
“The army opened up the reserves and everybody who is willing to fight, to come in and collect the weapons and be part of the territorial resistance,” he said.
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