Sport is not exempt from the war between Ukraine and Russia. Dozens of athletes from various disciplines have expressed their rejection of the invasion by Vladimir Putin.
Now, a baseball player born in Cuba and who has been for more than 27 years in Ukraine stated that he will join the Ukrainian military forces to fight against the Russian invasion.
Raidel Arbelay, from 52 years old, has been a resident of Ukraine since 1996 and has played baseball in that country since that year and was even part of the Ukraine National Team until 2010, currently is National Veterans Baseball Team.
🇺🇦🇷🇺From Ukraine, Cuban baseball player “I’m on my way to leave my family safe and then I’ll join the Ukrainian army because I’m not going to hide like a rat while my people die.” pic.twitter.com/hBx5J1ZVqX— Victor M. Dueñas (@VictorDuenasCU) February 27,
“I would never think that the country that gave me shelter would happen what is happening now. I decided to take my children and my wife and leave the city because a plane fell from Russian troops where we were,” said Arbelay.
The Cuban baseball player expressed that he will join the Ukrainian militia, but they told him that since he has dual Cuban-Ukrainian nationality he cannot still be in the Army.
“My intention is to leave my family near the Polish border and return here. I wouldn’t feel good if I walked away from the country seeing how the Ukrainian soldiers would fall. I don’t want to be a hero, I’m afraid for myself and my family. But I don’t want to look like a rat. I never thought this kind of war would come”, said Raidel Arbelay.
Arbelay has a YouTube channel where there are several videos of him being part of the Ukrainian baseball team in various tournaments. Now he will have to wait if the Ukrainian Army recruits him to fight the Russian military.
“The war has neither friends nor winners, only losers, families in mourning, mothers without children and many things more”, underlined Arbelay.
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