When information leaked that the famous Ukrainian boxer had appeared in the Czech Republic, many did not believe it. The opposite was true. The 35-year-old Olympic champion of 2012, after leaving Ukraine and its army (he was allowed to prepare for the defense of the titles) was the first to go to the Czech Republic, where he had a rich program.
First lunch and a visit to the parliament in Prague, then a press conference and subsequent participation in a football match in Hradec Králové. It was a friendly match between the reserve team of Hradec Králové and the Ukrainian club FC Polissja Žytomyr, which found a substitute home in the Czech Republic. In the end, Zhytomyr rejoiced in the 1: 0 win. The opening excavation could not be done by anyone other than Oleksandr Usyk.
During his stay in the Czech Republic, Oleksandr Usyk came to support his friendly football team Polissja Žytomyr in a match with FC Hradec Králové.Photo: Josef VostárekČTK
Then the 35-year-old boxer moved to the stands, where he was unstoppable. Not for a moment did a large group of fans take his eyes off him, and of course the joint photos and autographs couldn’t be missing. In short, Usyk was the number one topic in Hradec Králové.
Earlier, there was a press conference, which was attended by the coach of the Ukrainian club Yuri Kalitvincev and player Ilya Cherednichenko. The Simferopol native most often answered questions about the war in Ukraine. The famous boxer also got involved. “I experienced, for example, how my children ran every time they whispered into the cellar. I couldn’t wish anything like that to anyone, not even my enemies, “Usyk said.
News of the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine caught him while he was working in London. “I was supposed to leave at six o’clock, but at five o’clock I received a message from my wife in Kiev that the war had begun. At that moment, it was clear that I would not be able to get home by air. There was panic about what to do next. We quickly exchanged tickets to get to Poland, they took us to the border there by car, and when we crossed them, our friends took us to Kiev, “he explained the situation.
In the previous days, Usyk had faced an important decision. He received permission from Ukraine to leave the country, as he is to start preparing for a boxing duel with Anthony Joshua. “It was a very difficult decision for me. But then my friends, older colleagues, came to me and told me that my front was sports. You should go with our flag hanging there and everyone in the world will hear about Ukraine, “the world heavyweight champion continued.
He will leave the Czech Republic in a few hours. The road to the camp will follow, but the scene of the duel is still being solved. “The final destination is not yet clear, but the Middle East is being addressed, so Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Dubai,” added Usyk.
