Ukrainian athletes

Several world class Ukrainian athletes including four boxing champions are not fighting in the ring but in a battlefront.  The latest word champion Oleksandr Usyk (WBA,WBO,IBF and IBO titlist) has joined the Territorial Ukraine Defense Battalion with former champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko (now mayor of Kyiv and Vasyl Lomachenco, 34. 

Usyk, undefeated in 19 fights, will meet Anthony Josuha but it is doubtful since the 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two- time world champ  is in the battle zone. 

Meanwhile, Lomachenco’s fight with WBO lightweight champion George Kambosos, is also in limbo as Lomachenko will not be available on June 5.  On the other hand, Russian Dimitry Bivol, undefeated in 19 bouts and who is set to meet Mexican Canelo Alvarez, called for peace.  Bivol was born in Kyrgystan but is now a Russian citizen, living in St. Petersburg.  Bivol and Alvarez will still fight despite sanctions by the WBA, along with IBF, WBC and WBO. 

Russians and Belarus boxers wil not be allowed to enter the ring with their flags and their national anthemns will not be played. Tennis star Sergiy Stakhouvsky 36, who retired after the Australian Open, has returned to Kyiv to help his county fight the invaders. 

He is known to have beaten Roger Federer.  Another Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina (worlds no.15), at firts refused to play against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova at the Monterrey Open  last week, but changed her mind when the Russian agreed to play in a neutral flag.  Svitilina blasted Potapova 6-2,6-1 and promised to give her prize money to the Ukrainian army. 

The Ukrainian Tennis Federation is set to expel Russia and Belarus while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is urging the sports governing bodies to ban the Russian and Belarusian athletes. 

In football, the two countries were likewise banned from all competitions including the Euro 2011.  Oh yes, all boxing bodies have withdrawn from staging fights in the Russian Federation.

Iloilo back on track

After losing to Pasig for their only second loss,  the Iloilo Kisela  Knights are back on their  winning ways in the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) online tournament.

Last Wednesday, The Knights trounched Mindoro 16-3.5, then routed Manila 17.5-3.5. Then last Saturday, Iloilo blasted Palawan then mangled Iriga 15-6, to still top the Southern Division standing with 23-win 2-loss record. The Pasig Pirates bannered by Mark Paragua and Darwin  Laylo is the overall-leader with a 24-1 mark. Toledo City is in fifth place with  15-10 while Cebu is at 10th spot with 6-19 in the Southern Division.