Kyiv Dynamo's contribution draws diaspora fire, minister's disapproval (03/31/96)

Kyiv Dynamo's contribution draws diaspora fire, minister's disapproval

by Andrij Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

TORONTO - Kyiv Dynamo, the Ukrainian capital's elite soccer team, is under fire from diaspora leaders for a charitable contribution.

Dynamo decided to donate $42,000 (U.S.) of their winnings in a CIS tournament held in Moscow on February 11 to the families of Russian soldiers who died while fighting against Chechen rebels. The donation made headlines in Ukraine and drew the ire of many citizens who wrote letters to newspapers (see The Weekly, March 3).

On March 8, President Dr. Dmytro Cipywnyk and Sports Commissioner Vsevolod Sokolyk of the Ukrainian World Congress; Stan Haba, president of the Canadian Friends of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee; Myron Stebelsky, president of the Ukrainian Association of Sports Clubs in North America; and Volodymyr Panchuk, president of the European FUNOC; sent a clear signal of their displeasure to Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sport Valeriy Borzov.

"News [of Dynamo's decision] has aroused understandable outrage among people here; among people who have long been generously donating hard-earned money to support the needs of Ukraine's athletes, as well as among those who have voluntarily donated many hours of work to assist these athletes," the group of diasporan activists wrote.

Reminding the former Olympic track star of the Ukrainian diaspora's contribution to the development of sport in Ukraine since independence, the signatories warned of the consequences of Dynamo's action. "We fear that such distressing news from Ukraine could have a negative impact on continuing aid to sport in Ukraine," the letter read.

The diasporans' expectation that a statement condemning Dynamo would be issued by Mr. Borzov was confirmed by a March 13 fax from the minister.

"We share the anxiety and anger expressed by the executive of the UWC and the Ukrainian diaspora's sports associations concerning the decision made by the Dynamo football club's administration during the CIS Cup competition," Mr. Borzov wrote.

"On behalf of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee I communicated our negative attitude to [Dynamo's decision] to the soccer club's administration and to its president, Grigoriy Surkis. We also [informed] the media of our position," the minister's fax read.

Contacted by The Weekly for a clarification on how this "negative attitude" had been conveyed, Mr. Borzov said he personally had spoken with Mr. Surkis. He added that the NOC had protested Dynamo's action and this was reported in the Ukrainian press.

Mr. Borzov added that he hoped this incident would "in no way affect our cordial relations and our fruitful cooperation, particularly during preparations and participation of Ukraine's athletes in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta."

According to a Canadian FUNOC release, donations from the diaspora covered the costs of the Ukrainian Olympic team's preparatory training sessions in the Atlanta area in the summer of 1995.

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