Ukrainian athlete pulls out of Winter Paralympics after father's capture by Russian army
A Ukrainian athlete has pulled out of her scheduled events in the ongoing Beijing Winter Paralympics 2022 after her father was captured by the Russian army.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
19-year-old Ukrainian athlete Anastasiia Laletina has withdrawn her participation from the ongoing Beijing Winter Paralympics 2022 after her father was captured by the Russian military forces. Russia began its invasion of Ukraine a fortnight ago, and Laletina was a soldier for her country’s army. Laletina was slated to participate in the middle distance sitting event in Beijing but will now stay with the Ukrainian Paralympics contingent until the mega event ends.
As reported by Daily Mail UK, a Ukrainian Paralympics committee spokesperson informed that Laletina has decided to withdraw from Paralympics due to the disturbing turn of events that also saw her father getting captured. The report also states that she will remain at the venue for the cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions in Zhangjjakou until the tournament ends. As per Daily Mail UK, speaking about the development, the Ukrainian team’s spokesperson Natalia Harach said, “Her father is a soldier in the Ukrainian army and (was taken) prisoner by Russian soldiers. They beat him. She was very upset and couldn't take part in the race”.
Anastasiia Laletina began her journey in the sport in 2019
A resident of Chernihiv, Ukraine, Anastasiia has been unable to walk since her childhood and took up the sport in 2019. As per her bio in the International Paralympic Committee website, he began her journey in the sport by taking part in the Para-Nordic skiing in 2019 in Chernihiv. Meanwhile, her family is one of the numerous families suffering the adverse effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
What is the current situation in the war-hit Ukraine?
As reported by AP, over 2 million civilians have fled Ukraine ever since Russia launched the war and almost half of them are children. Despite the brutal attack, Ukraine has continued to resist the Russian forces as civilians have also joined the army to fight against the invaders. The Ukrainian government banned the exports of wheat on Wednesday as feeding the desperate and scared population has become a challenge. At the same time, masses also fear a nuclear disaster due to the Russia-Ukraine war, if it gets stretched to that extent.