Wladimir Klitschko insists he is in “the biggest fight of my life” while defending Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
The former world heavyweight champion and his brother Vitali, the mayor of Kyiv, have both stated that they are “ready to die” fighting for their country against the Russian troops.
But Klitschko, who holds the longest cumulative heavyweight title reign of all time, insists sport can play a “crucial” role in the war by outlawing Vladimir Putin ’s Russia.
“People say this is the biggest fight of my life, and I agree,” Klitschko told the Mirror. “It’s so sad to realise how terrifying the war is.
“We believe sanctions on different levels, including sport, are crucially important.
“If you take away sporting competition the athletes will ask their leader, ‘Why will nobody compete against us?’ I repeat, this is not against the athletes, it’s in the name of peace in Ukraine.”
Klitschko believes each sport’s governing body can make a difference by following the International Olympic Committee [IOC] and their guidance to exclude Russian athletes from international events.
The brothers recently reiterated their commitment to fight for their home country’s freedom, with Vitali saying he is “proud to see how patriotic people are”.
“We’re not interested in how strong the Russian army is, we’re ready to fight,” he told CNN. “And we’re ready to die for our home country and for our families, because it’s our home. It’s our future and somebody wants to come to our home and steal our future from us.”
He added there was a “huge patriotic movement” to defend the country and that Ukrainians of all working backgrounds are ready to take up arms.
He said: “We stayed in front of one of the strongest armies in the world. The will to be independent is the main priority for us. And we’re defending our families, our city, our country and our future.
“There is a huge patriotic movement right now. Old people, can you imagine? Doctors, actors, actors from the theatre, many professions that never had no expectation to fight, to keep weapons.
“But right now they are coming to us, they’re ready to fight. It’s amazing.”
While fellow Ukrainian professional boxer Oleksandr Usyk has also confirmed he joined a territorial defence battalion and was ready to fight. “Maybe, it’ll sound sentimental,” he said in the CNN interview via manager and translator Egis Klimas.
“But my soul belongs to the Lord and my body and my honour belong to my country, to my family. So there is no fear, absolutely no fear. There’s just bafflement -- how could this be in the 21st century?
“I really don’t know when I’m going to be stepping back in the ring. My country and my honour are more important to me than a championship belt.”
