PARIS: Ukraine’s boxing icon Oleksandr Usyk told AFP he will stay in the sport “a little longer” so he can provide “financial support to our army and civilians” and achieve his sporting goal of once again being undisputed heavyweight world champion.
The 38-year-old, who holds all the belts except the IBF version which belongs to Daniel Dubois, has been galvanized by the war ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February 2022, wreaking death and destruction on his compatriots and his homeland.
His exploits — two memorable victories over British opponent Tyson Fury plus others over Anthony Joshua and Dubois — have helped keep his beleaguered country very much in people’s minds.
In a wide-ranging interview, Usyk said his father, who fought in the Soviet Army, was the seminal influence on his career.
He says he has been inspired by “both the heroes of the past and the modern Ukrainian heroes who are now defending our homeland in the armed forces.”
“Representing Ukraine on the global sports stage, spreading the truth about the war, and providing financial support to our army and civilians — this is also a powerful motivation for me to stay in professional boxing a little longer,” he said.
“I feel great, I’m ready for any opponent and would love to take another shot at becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion again.”
Usyk says Fury is the toughest opponent he has faced “for the moment” and added that he expects the unpredictable Briton to return to boxing, although perhaps “in a different role.”
Usyk can thank his late father, also called Oleksandr, for his extraordinary resilience in brutal bouts with Fury and twice with Joshua. He remains unbeaten as a professional with 23 victories, including 14 stoppages.
Usyk senior was wounded twice fighting for the Soviet Army during their 10-year occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989.
“My father was a tough man, indeed,” said Usyk.
“He taught me iron discipline, but he also taught me to believe in myself.
“He was the first to tell me that I would become a champion — when no-one else believed it, and everyone looked at him as if he were crazy.”

His father — who Usyk recalled would have nightmares and call out the names of comrades who had died in Afghanistan — lived just long enough to see his son be crowned Olympic heavyweight champion in London in 2012.
“I inherited my fighting spirit from him, though I would never compare myself to the true warriors who are now defending Ukraine on the front lines,” he said.
“They are the real fighters, the real heroes.”
The admiration works both ways as some of those wounded in the conflict — including soldiers who had lost limbs — traveled to watch his rematch with Joshua in September 2022.
Usyk has in the past cried when talking about his father and placing the Olympic gold medal in his lifeless hand — he died just prior to his triumphant return from London.
However, after beating Fury on points in last December’s rematch in Riyadh, he dedicated his victory to his mother and “all Ukrainian mothers.”
“In Ukraine, there is probably no one who hasn’t lost someone because of the war,” he said.
“As a father, I wholeheartedly understand the pain of mothers who lose their children.
“This should not be happening in the modern world.
“That is why we must do everything possible not only to end the war but also to ensure that it never happens again.”
Usyk held up a sabre which belonged to 17th century Ukrainian leader Ivan Mazepa after his most recent win, against Fury in Riyadh in December.
“It is crucial to show that Ukraine is not Russia,” he explained. “That it is a nation with a 300-year history of resisting the Russian Empire, no matter what name it has taken in different historical periods.”
Usyk was dissuaded from taking up arms at the outset of the war, but he has been generous in dispensing his fortune.
He contributed the majority of the funds to rebuild the house of Oleksiy Dzhunkivskyi, a good friend and former teammate who was shot dead by Russian forces in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv.
“Over the past three years, my foundation has raised millions of euros from various donors to support the military, reconstruction efforts, and humanitarian projects,” he said.
Usyk said an overall assessment of his career cannot be made until he hangs up his gloves.
“I believe it’s too soon to sum up my overall achievements,” he said.
 

HOUSTON: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy wanted a final tunup before the Masters and spent parts of the Thursday at the Houston Open under an umbrella in wind and rain that prevented anyone from getting too far away.

Keith Mitchell made a late eagle and Ryan Gerard let a good start slip away by finishing with two bogeys. They both wound up at 5-under 65, tied for the lead with Alejandro Tosti and Taylor Pendrith when play was suspended by darkness.

Scheffler didn’t dazzle. He just didn’t do much wrong, one of his best attributes. The world’s No. 1 player played bogey-free and made a pair of long birdies on the back nine that added to a 67, leaving him two shots behind.

“Conditions were pretty tough out there today with the rain and the wind, so overall nice to keep a clean card,” Scheffler said.

McIlroy, coming off his second victory of the year at The Players Championship two weeks ago, played in the morning and that was no picnic. The rain was steady as he stood on the 10th tee and it eventually stopped long enough for him to enjoy the end of his round.

He had two birdies (both on par 5s), two bogeys and 14 pars for a 70 that he described as “a little pedestrian.”

“Couldn’t really find the middle of the club face for the first few holes,” McIlroy said. “Once it brightened up and as the conditions got a little better, I felt like I drove it pretty well.”

Tosti contended late in the Houston Open last year. He also played bogey-free, and he made birdie on all three of the par 5s at Memorial Park. Mitchell got his mistakes out of the way early — two bogeys in four holes, and finished strong.

Pendrith had the lead to himself until he found a bunker left of the green on the 18th and missed a 10-foot par putt. Jackson Suber was poised to join the group at 65 until a four-putt double bogey on the 18th. The first putt was 70 feet. The last three putts were from 5 feet.

And then there was Gerard, who was motoring along at 7 under with two holes to play, starting with the par-5 eighth. But his tee shot was so far right he had to take a penalty drop, and his wedge from 124 yards went 50 feet long. He managed to two-putt for a bogey.

On the par-3 ninth, he went into a back lip of the bunker and had to play away from the flag because of water on the other side, leading to another bogey.

The 65 was a solid start. The finish stung.

“I’d be lying to you if I wasn’t a little bit upset,” Gerard said. “But you kind of just got to take a step back. If they said after the morning wave you’d be T-1, everyone in the field would sign up for that starting their round, especially when it was rainy and kind of windy and off and on from different directions. The grind was real out there.”

And it was wet for so much of the day, leading to preferred lies from the short grass. The issue for Gerard was staying dry.

“I’m weird — I don’t like holding the umbrella because I feel like my arms get fatigued and I stand over a shot and I feel like I hit it weird,” he said. “So I wear the rain jacket and try and not get the grips wet. If I can do that and just pick quality targets and try and just make solid swings to the targets, whatever happens from there is kind of up to the skid or the rain or the water droplets or whatever it could be.”

Suber wound up with eight players at 66, a group that included Rasmus Hojgaard, who at one point was tied for the lead until a double bogey. He played in the same group as his Danish twin, Nicolai Hojgaard, who had a 69.

Michael Kim and Ben Griffin opened with a 70. Both are just outside the top 50 in the world and are trying to move inside that number to get into the Masters. The cutoff for the top 50 is after the Houston Open.