Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi says "the Russians wanted his country to cease to exist" but instead over two years on from the invasion, "the opposite has happened" at the Paris Olympics.
"Ukrainians are here, Ukraine is participating in the Olympic Games," he said on the eve of the opening ceremony.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Bidnyi, who replaced Vadym Gutzeit as sports minister last November, said sport's greatest show spread over a fortnight in Paris -- and televised around the globe -- would for Ukraine "primarily be a big screen to the world."
Despite heavily disrupted preparations, with some athletes leaving Ukraine, others being killed and training facilities destroyed since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022, Ukraine is still sending a 143-strong team to Paris.
"We need to remind the world that Ukraine exists, is fighting, and is capable of winning," Bidnyi told AFP by email on Thursday.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
