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PAGE 7
SPORT
SPORT
2014 Page 1
Property ty Lift outt
■ Berwick pro-basketballer flees as security disintegrates
Out of Ukraine By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
The conflict in Ukraine can be traced back to November last year, when a series THE day pro-basketballer Daniel Kickert boarded a plane to flee the Ukrainian city of of relatively calm protests erupted against then-President Viktor Yanukovych’s deciDonetsk, the town revolted. Saturday saw some of 7000 protesters sion to not sign a free trade agreement with storming the city’s administration building the European Union, opting instead for and tearing down the Ukrainian flags that closer ties with Russia. adorned its terraces. But last month the unrest reached fever In their place, Russian flags fluttered in pitch when President Yanukovych was oustthe breeze. ed and sought exile in Russia, after which Daniel, a Berwick native, played pro- Russian President Vladamir Putin mobilfessional basketball for Azovmash in the ised his nation’s troops to seize control of Ukrainian Basketball Super League for the most of the Crimean peninsula. better part of two years, before his team’s The plight of the Ukrainian people first general manager advised him and other hit home for Daniel as early as November team-mates to leave Ukraine last week, with the country teetering on the brink of when the Australian was in Lviv, a city in the county’s west, and saw thousands of war with Russia. Now returned to the safe expanses of students marching through town. “I saw how upsetting it was for these Berwick, Daniel believed Azovmash had been forced to remove itself completely Ukrainian students to have that EU decision from the Ukrainian league. taken away from them. $6,“Leaving $15freedom $16,990 ,990 of movement 990 was a $mutual 7,990 decision $be12,990“They want to tween us and the club. The teams closer to study in Europe and live in Europe, someKiev sent players out of the country a bit thing the neighbouring countries don’t have earlier,” Daniel said. to worry about,” Daniel said. “I wasn’t approached by my general “That’s what they’re fighting for.” manager until Thursday because the league Now safe in Victoria’s south-east with had been trying to postpone calling everything off but it became too dangerous for his wife Erica and parents Rudy and Jenny, $teams $21,990 $24,990 $26,never 16,990 990 Daniel concedes he will probably to travel.” $21,990 Azovmash was based in Mariupol, a city play for Azovmash again; a team he was tucked next to the country’s eastern border confident was the strongest chance to win with Russia and almost directly south of the Ukrainian league championship. Donetsk, where his plane flew from on the But it is the Ukraine and its people that weekend. Daniel spares an even stronger thought for, The 30-year-old said his heart went out as the country falls deeper and deeper into to former team-mates who lived near the disarray. $26,990 $ ,990 $27,990 $28,990 $28,990 capital, Kiev, where26 fighting had escalated. “I’m concerned for them, all of the “For those guys it’s really extreme, people had been killed outside their training Ukrainian people. If the conflict escalates facility, people couldn’t leave their homes,” into anything full-blown, the country could be divided up,” he said. Daniel said. “They’re under threat of losing their na- Professional basketballer Daniel Kickert returned safely to his home in Berwick this week after “I had team-mates on the outskirts of Kiev, they had to have security accompany tional identity - put yourself in their posi- being urged to flee the Ukraine, where he had been playing for over a year in the Ukrainian tion.” them in vans to their games.” Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS $29 $29,990 $30,990 $31,990 SuperLeague. ,990 $29 ,990
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