Ukrainian kickboxing world champion's coach mourns player's death in fight against Russia

The invasion of Russia in Ukraine has forced athletes of the former Soviet state to give up on their sport and pick up arms to defend the sovereignty of their homeland. Among notable sports personalities who joined the battle included former Tennis players like  Alexandr Dolgopolov and Sergiy Stakhovsky joining boxers Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko to defend their nation from the relentless Russian aggression.

In most recent developments concerning the same, former world champions Klitschko brothers Vitali and Wladimir have also joined the fighting. However, it needs to be mentioned here that a few of the athletes who joined the war have also lost their lives while fighting for their country. According to various media outlets, Ukrainian kickboxing world champion Maksym Kagal has lost his life during the ongoing war.

Russia Ukraine news: Maksym Kagal dies while fighting

According to a Yahoo report, 30-year-old Maksym Kagal was reportedly fighting Russian troops in an attempt to defend the war-torn city of Mariupol. The news regarding the kickboxing world champion's death was announced by his coach Oleh Skyrta on Monday.

According to the report, the coach said “Unfortunately, the war takes the best. On 25 March 2022, while defending the city of Mariupol as part of the Azov Separate Special Forces Unit, Maxim ‘Piston’ Kagal [was killed],". He also described Kagal as “the first world kickboxing champion from the glorious city of Kremenchuk, the first world champion among adults in the team of Ukraine, and just an honest and decent person”.

Russia Ukraine news

Amidst the ravaging war, the sixth round of peace negotiations between invading Russia and embattled Ukraine was held on Tuesday. According to Ukrainian media reports, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine commenced in Turkey with a 'cold welcome and no handshake.' Mykhailo Podolyak, political adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter that both sides were discussing “the fundamental provisions of the negotiation process and that delegations are working in parallel on the entire spectrum of contentious issues.”

According to the latest update by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mariupol's mayor has stated that around 1,60,000 are still present in the city besieged by Russian forces.  Since February 24 when Russia initiated its military aggression, Ukrainian armed forces have claimed that Kremlin has lost around 17,200 personnel along with other losses such as 597 tanks, 1,710 armoured vehicles, 303 vehicles.