Ukrainian tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky enlists in army to aid ongoing war effort
Ukrainian player Sergiy Stakhovsky has returned to his home country to enlist in their military reserves despite no previous military experience but feels an overwhelming sense of duty.
As the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on, Sergiy Stakhovsky has become yet another sportsman to join the Ukrainian war effort.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fights alongside his citizens on the frontlines, a number of high-profile sportsmen have joined to defend their nation’s sovereignty.
These names include two boxing champions Wladimir Klitschko, who is also the Mayor of Kyiv, and Oleksandr Usyk.
When asked whether he was prepared to take up arms in an interview with Sky Sports, an emotional Stakhovsky said “of course I would, that’s the only reason I’m coming back.
“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.
“There’s plenty of people in them. I actually signed up for the reserves last week, last Saturday, I just didn’t have enough documents to sign the contract,” the former World number 31 revealed.
“Now they have cancelled that procedure and basically everybody who is motivated enough can join.
“I don’t have military experience but I do have gun experience privately. I don’t see the reason why the majority of our countrymen have to risk their lives to send their families away while I sit back.”
A disgruntled Stakhovsky also seemingly directed some of his frustrations towards the West, saying “let’s be realistic here, it’s been eight years of the war against Russia – whether it is Russian proxies or Russia itself it doesn’t matter.
“Where was all of this for eight years? None of us would believe that this could happen and yet it happened.
“And none of the European leaders, or world leaders, are ready to help, ready to put the fight in Ukraine for maybe a better Europe in the future,” he claimed.
“We want to be a normal, civilised country, with a democracy where you can actually elect your president.
“And as far as I can go I can say that, today, the president we have is most likely the only president which we’ve ever had in terms of standing up for his country and believing on what he does and risking his own life.
“The only one. All of them before were just political jokes. He may be a comedian in life, but he’s become a president for the people.”
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