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What did Lomachenko's unification win mean for Ukraine?
Summary
A look back at the boxing result and the veterans' status decision that framed the days around 9 December 2018.
What was on Ukraine's public agenda around 9 December 2018? Two items stood out in the preceding days: a sporting triumph and a decision on wartime veterans.
On 8 December 2018, Vasyl Lomachenko beat Jose Pedraza and, for the first time in his career, unified the WBA and WBO world champion belts in the lightweight division. The result gave Ukraine a clear sporting headline heading into the following day.
Two days earlier, on 6 December 2018, veterans of the UPA were recognised as participants in combat operations. The decision concerned the status of the veterans of that formation.
The two developments were unrelated in subject and substance. One was a victory in the ring; the other was a question of official recognition. Together they show the range of what drew attention in Ukraine in the first days of that December: an individual athletic achievement alongside a decision about how the state classifies a group of veterans.
