He four-time world kickboxing champion Vitalii Merinov, A Ukrainian national, he died this week in hospital as a result of injuries sustained while fighting Russian forces occupying his country in the eastern region of luhanskUkrainian media reported today.
Merinov had enlisted in the Ukrainian army as volunteer just after the Russian army began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year.
After being injured in the legthe athlete from the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine, He returned to the front and continued fighting until he was mortally wounded..
Since he volunteered, the athlete shared different moments of his fight at the front on his social networks, from photos with his squadmates to images of him in wells or trenches protecting his safety.
His death has been confirmed by the mayor of the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ruslan Martsinkiv, who reported that the four-time world champion was married and had a two-year-old daughter.
“Irreparable loss for the Ivano-Frankivsk community. Vitalii Merinov died at night from wounds sustained in the battle in the hospital, ”he reported.
“Four times world kickboxing champion, Ukrainian universal combat champion, boxing master Vitalii Merinov went to war on the first day of a full-scale invasion. During one of the fights, Vitalii received a gunshot wound to the leg. He recovered and returned to the front again and defended Ukraine to the last breath. He has a wife and a two-year-old daughter left.. Sincere condolences to the family and loved ones. Eternal memory of the Hero!” concluded the mayor.
On the other hand, he recalled that Merinov was a member of the executive committee of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, a deputy of the last convocation.
The vanguard explained that a few days ago Another elite athlete, Maksym Kagal, kickboxing world champion in 2014 and a benchmark for the country in this discipline, also died in combat defending the city of Mariupol.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, at least 262 athletes have died as a result of the Russian military aggression against Ukraineone of kyiv’s arguments to request the exclusion of Russian athletes from the next Olympic Games to be held in 2024 in Paris.
Ukraine has threatened to “skip the Olympics” if Russia and Belarus can compete.
The middle Newsweek He explained that earlier this month, World Athletics, the world governing body for track and field competitions, had banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in its events due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which is supported by Belarus.
(with information from EFE)
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Source-www.infobae.com