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Vitali Klitschko thinking of tragedy in Japan
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Vitali Klitschko thinking of tragedy in Japan
by Dan Rafael
Even as heavyweight titleholder Vitali Klitschko prepares for his mandatory title defense against Odlanier Solis on Saturday (Epix, 5 p.m. ET) at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, he has been watching the tragic news from Japan unfold like so many around the world.
Klitschko, like his younger brother, fellow heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, is a class act. He's smart, compassionate and concerned with way more things than just what goes on in boxing.
At the end of a teleconference with reporters to discuss the fight on Wednesday, Klitschko spoke passionately about the nuclear catastrophe that is happening in Japan in the wake of the recent earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
Klitschko grew up in Ukraine and was in the former Soviet republic when a nuclear disaster struck at Chernobyl.
"We want to support Japan during its tragedy," Klitschko said. "I know one of the judges [for the fight] will be from Japan, and coming from Ukraine, and I was, in 1986, close to Chernobyl. My father [a colonel in the Soviet air force] was there. And I know how big this tragedy is. And I understand right now the attention of the whole world is on Japan, and everybody is looking how the situation will develop.
"I want to support Japan's people. I want to support the people who are fighting right now against this tragedy. And we definitely will make a donation from this fight to support Japan. Because I know how hard is it. I know how dangerous it is because it's touched my family -- the tragedy in Chernobyl, I know how difficult it is right now in Japan.
"We just saw the news from Japan and see the news every day. I know all the fans and all the media are watching the nuclear tragedy in Japan. Sport connects people. Sport can change the world. And I'm more than sure we have a lot of power to help the Japanese people who have problems, first from the earthquake and from the tsunami and now their nuclear problem."
by Dan Rafael
Even as heavyweight titleholder Vitali Klitschko prepares for his mandatory title defense against Odlanier Solis on Saturday (Epix, 5 p.m. ET) at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, he has been watching the tragic news from Japan unfold like so many around the world.
Klitschko, like his younger brother, fellow heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, is a class act. He's smart, compassionate and concerned with way more things than just what goes on in boxing.
At the end of a teleconference with reporters to discuss the fight on Wednesday, Klitschko spoke passionately about the nuclear catastrophe that is happening in Japan in the wake of the recent earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
Klitschko grew up in Ukraine and was in the former Soviet republic when a nuclear disaster struck at Chernobyl.
"We want to support Japan during its tragedy," Klitschko said. "I know one of the judges [for the fight] will be from Japan, and coming from Ukraine, and I was, in 1986, close to Chernobyl. My father [a colonel in the Soviet air force] was there. And I know how big this tragedy is. And I understand right now the attention of the whole world is on Japan, and everybody is looking how the situation will develop.
"I want to support Japan's people. I want to support the people who are fighting right now against this tragedy. And we definitely will make a donation from this fight to support Japan. Because I know how hard is it. I know how dangerous it is because it's touched my family -- the tragedy in Chernobyl, I know how difficult it is right now in Japan.
"We just saw the news from Japan and see the news every day. I know all the fans and all the media are watching the nuclear tragedy in Japan. Sport connects people. Sport can change the world. And I'm more than sure we have a lot of power to help the Japanese people who have problems, first from the earthquake and from the tsunami and now their nuclear problem."
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