A bout of the year
Volodymyr Klychko’s victory: cause for national pride
Among Ukraine’s usual negative events — the crisis in parliament, endless inflation, and overall springtime depression — we have a real victory, something every Ukrainian feels proud about as though his own. Volodymyr Klychko, the all-round IBO, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion’s victory over Russia’s boxer Sultan Ibragimov on Sunday became a triumph for all Ukraine. Everybody felt jubilant, even those who couldn’t watch the bout live at four in the morning Kyiv time but watched the tape in the evening on Sunday.
As predicted by sports moguls, Volodymyr Klychko completely dominated the match and Ibragimov, who is smaller than Klychko, simply did not know what to do to get to his opponent who had a number of other advantages over him. Volodymyr effectively controlled Sultan’s main weapon, speed, by keeping him at a distance with his famous left jab. The Ukrainian boxer dominated all 12 rounds and Ibragimov’s attempts to change the situation looked sporadic, even desperate.
President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko have already congratulated Volodymyr Klychko on his victory. “We take national pride in you and your convincing victory in the unification bout,” reads the president’s message. The prime minister’s reads: “You have once again demonstrated your Professionalism in the upper case... I am sure that people like you, Volodymyr, are doing more for Ukraine and its prestige than all our politicians, MPs, and government officials put together.”
Yulia Tymoshenko’s self-critical remark makes one assume that our officials, politicians, and MPs should not capitalize on every opportune occasion but modestly, almost inconspicuously help people like the Klychko brothers, tennis-playing Bondarenko sisters, biathlon competitor Semerenko sisters, and others with matching talents and spirit continue making breakthroughs for themselves and Ukraine on the world arena. After all, Volodymyr Klychko’s victory marks a summit that Ukraine with its potential can reach in practically every field of endeavor, ranging from spacecraft construction to operatic art. If only our talented, brilliant people could feel any support from the state — not only when such people have reached their summits and the state has no alternative but take pride in them, but also when it comes to funding training sessions, employing coaches, taking part in competitions, and so on. Having confidence in one’s own strength is one thing; an altogether different thing is being aware of such confidence and support on the part of the state. As was the case with the Klychko brothers — except that they received this confidence and support in Germany.
Vitalii and Volodymyr made their successful debuts in the professional ring on Nov. 16, 1996, in Hamburg and signed a contract with the professional boxing club Universum Box-Promotion. Half a year later they became known as European championship hopefuls. The brothers justified these expectations. On Oct. 23, 1998, the World Boxing Organization recognized Vitalii as the intercontinental champion of the year. On Nov. 11, 1998, Vitalii Klychko’s name was entered in The Guinness Book of Records as the world’s first heavyweight fighter with 26 KOs in the smallest number of rounds, thus outdoing even Iron Mike Tyson. In Jan. 2000, the German journal Boxsport named Vitalii Klychko the boxer of the year 1999. His brother Volodymyr became one in 2000.
It took Vitalii and Volodymyr only three years to rise from the 200th place in world boxing ratings to prestigious titles. Over six and a half years Vitalii has become WBO intercontinental champion, European champion, WBA intercontinental champion, and WBO champion. During this period his brother Volodymyr , today’s celebrity, has become WBC intercontinental champion, WBA intercontinental champion, European champion, and WBO champion.
This head-spinning career of the sons of a pilot and a college lecturer is a graphic example of how every ordinary Ukrainian can become extraordinary. Therefore, every Ukrainian politician, MP, government official is responsible for national talents remaining “unwanted.” None of those upstairs has done for Ukraine anything even remotely resembling what the Klychko brothers have accomplished. This should be a lesson in how to overcome one’s ambitions, how to learn to rely not only on bodyguards but on the whole state. Painstaking work, self-perfection, discipline, and willpower are what all those “eager” to make our life better need.
COMMENT
Olena LISHCHYNSKA , Ph.D. (Psychology), Institute of Social and Political Psychology at the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine:
The sad fact remains that we have few reasons for taking national pride in things, for elevated national feelings. At the same time, there is every indication that every individual needs this. Proof of this is the Klychko vs. Ibragimov bout. Every boxing fan and all of Ukraine looked forward to this event and Volodymyr ’s victory is very important for all Ukrainians. It is true that athletes are probably the only people who have of late given us cause to be proud of Ukraine. This country has a great deal of creative, scientific, and certainly athletic potential. Unfortunately, this potential remains to be realized because our state is largely indifferent to those who could glorify it. It is true that Volodymyr and Vitalii Klychko are winners, champions, they are known across the world and they are Ukraine’s best representatives. However, it was also true that it was not Ukraine that encouraged, trained, and invested money and energy in them. Still, the Klychko brothers have never severed contact with Ukraine. This country has always been important for them.
