Promising boxer Maksim Halinichev has died.
Maksim Halinichev (right) won the European Youth Championship gold in his career. Photo of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games semi-final from Buenos Aires. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
Ukrainian boxer Maxim Halinichev has died in the war against Russia, says the Ukrainian Boxing Association on its Instagram account.
Halinichev, 22, died on March 10 in the Luhansk region, where he fought on the front lines.
– The war has taken away a true friend of the country, a talented boxer and a wonderful person, the union’s statement says.
In his career, Halinichev won gold at the European Youth Championships in 2017 and silver in the 56-kilogram category at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics and the 2021 Under-22 European Championships.
He aimed for the Paris Olympics in his career, but volunteered to defend his country a little over a year ago in May. At that time, he also refused to participate in the European Championships.
According to the Ukrainian Boxing Federation, he was wounded twice in the war, but each time he returned to the front.
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Bleskin about a year ago, the boxing association shared an interview with Halinichev.
Halinichev said two months before Russia expanded its war of aggression in Ukraine that he wants to secure his children’s future.
– To make my family proud. Despite my young age, I already have my own family. I have a little daughter, Vasilisawhich turns two in February 2022, he said at the time.