Vice-President of the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation Stella Zakharova stated that our state does not care enough about its athletes.
“It pains me to write this. It hurts when I see how our athletes – those who raised the flag of Ukraine on the world stage, who risked their health, career and even life – receive an “Olympic scholarship” of about 300 dollars. Three hundred.
This is “gratitude” for medals and the glorification of Ukraine in the world, years of training, injuries, operations, lost time and energy that can never be returned.
Now let’s compare: in some countries, even hostile to us, Olympians receive more – from $500 a month. Why is the Ukrainian champion, who glorified or glorifies the country, valued less?
How did it happen that some ministers receive hundreds of thousands of hryvnia, and the Olympic champion – several thousand? Why are those who once made millions of people cry with pride now struggling to make ends meet?
And the worst thing is that there are many cases when, after finishing their sports career, and sometimes because of its tragic end, Olympic champions simply die in poverty and do not even have enough to buy medicine. It shouldn’t be this way. Not in a country that calls itself strong and free.
Dear Mr. President, I am addressing you not as a critic, but as a person who has devoted his entire life to sports. Please reconsider the government’s attitude towards professional athletes. Review the system of financing and supporting those who have made and are making the name of Ukraine known in the world.
Because we have champions to be proud of – and not to forget.”
Note that Zakharova is the 1980 Olympic champion as part of the USSR national team in the team tournament.
