Ukrainian boxer Usyk meets 13-year-old boy before fight in Saudi Arabia, who lost father in the war
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk had a heartwarming meeting with 13-year-old Tymofiy in the lead-up to his crucial fight in Saudi Arabia against Tyson Fury. Usyk personally invited a young fan to the bout, UNITED24 charitable organization shared this touching story.
Tymofiy and his father, serviceman Yevhen Osypkov, were very close and loved watching boxing together.
Tragedy struck in August 2023 when Yevhen was killed in action in Donetsk Oblast, defending Ukraine.
Tymofiy's mother, Yulia, shared their story online. The UNITED24 team saw her post and decided to arrange a special meeting between Tymofiy and Usyk.
Read also: Usyk triumphs over Fury, claims world champion title
During their meeting, Usyk signed and gifted Tymofiy a pair of his boxing gloves and invited him to attend the fight against Tyson Fury.
“Last week, Tymofiy and his mother traveled over 2,800 miles from Kyiv to Riyadh,” UNITED24 reported.
“They met the champion on the eve of the historic match and were set to witness Oleksandr become the first undisputed boxing champion in 25 years.”
Read also: Usyk impresses with Crimean Tatar embroidery at pre-fight press in Riyadh
Yulia recounted how deeply her son was affected by the fight.
“Until the ninth round, Tymofiy was very worried about Oleksandr, literally about every punch,” she said.
“But after the ninth round and the knockout, he said that he realized that you can get hit, but if you are focused on winning, everything will be fine in the end, there will be victory!”
Read also: Oleksandr Usyk shares gut-wrenching account of trip to frontlines
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
