Budget crisis affects Ukraine's Olympic effort

by Roman Woronowycz

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Ukraine's budget crisis has now affected its preparations for the Olympic Games.

Ukraine's Minister of Sports Valeriy Borzov expressed concern on May 22 that because of underfunding the Ukrainian Olympic team will not adequately be prepared for the Centennial Olympic Games scheduled to begin in Atlanta on July 19.

The financial crisis came to a head the week of May 12 with a presidential decree greatly restricting government expenditures in an effort to clear a $1 billion backlog of wage payments.

"The absence of stable financing threatens our athletes' preparations for the Games," Minister Borzov told Reuters. "They are supposed to be competing in tournaments and maintaining their condition, but we cannot afford to take part." He said the proposed squad of 239 was encountering problems with training, equipment and logistics.

A day later, Volodymyr Lytvyn, assistant chief of staff in the president's administration, explained that currently only 20 percent of the Olympic budget is available.

He announced also that the scheduled trip by Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma to Atlanta has been canceled due to the budget crunch. President Kuchma was to have visited the athletes and taken part in official ceremonies. Mr. Lytvyn said efforts are being made to reduce the number of officials attending the Olympics to ensure that coaches are able to accompany their athletes, according to Reuters.

In addition, he said that Ukrainian Television (UT-1) may not have the financial resources to broadcast the Games.

However, Borys Bashenko, general coordinator for the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine told The Weekly on May 24 that currently UT-1 has a team of 12 scheduled to be accredited for Atlanta, and that perhaps even the president of the company would attend.

He also said that, although President Kuchma would not attend, it was due to important and immediate matters, including the matter of approving the constitution, and currently a delegation headed by the prime minister was to go in the president's place.

Ukraine has several hopes for the gold medal among its more than 200 Olympians, including world pole vault champion Sergey Bubka, women's world record holder in the long jump Inessa Kravets, world gymnastics champion Lilia Pidkopayeva, weightlifter Timur Taimazov and world champion rhythmic gymnast Kateryna Serebryanska.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 9, 1996, No. 23, Vol. LXIV

| Home Page |