Tennis star Roger Federer donating US$500,000 for Ukrainian children
- The Swiss sportsman established the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged children
- Elsewhere, Middlesbrough football club to donate share of gate receipts from Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea to humanitarian aid in Ukraine
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Tennis player Roger Federer, “horrified” by the images from Ukraine, announced on Friday that he is donating US$500,000 (€452,000) through his foundation “to establish access to continued schooling for Ukrainian children.”
“My family and I are horrified seeing pictures from Ukraine and heartbroken for the innocent people who have been so terribly affected. We stand for peace,” the tennis star wrote in a tweet tagged with yellow and blue hearts and a dove.
“About 6 million Ukrainian children are currently out of school and we know it is a very critical time to provide access to education,” wrote Federer. Miroslava and Roger Federer have twin girls born in 2009 and twin boys born in 2014.
“We would like to help them cope with this extremely traumatic experience.”
He established the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged children and said it “will be supporting War Child Holland with a donation of US$500,000 to establish access to continued schooling for Ukrainian children.”
Elsewhere in the world of sport, Middlesbrough will donate their share of gate receipts from Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea to humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the football club announced on Friday.
European champions Chelsea are operating under a special licence allowing them to fulfil fixtures despite the UK government sanctions placed on owner Roman Abramovich in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for his alleged ties to Vladimir Putin.
However, Chelsea have not been allowed to sell tickets to fans and initially requested that their clash with Middlesbrough was played behind closed doors on sporting integrity grounds.
That request was quickly withdrawn amid a backlash from politicians, the football authorities and Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson.
“Sporting integrity and Chelsea do not belong in the same sentence,” Gibson told The Times newspaper.
Premier League bans Roman Abramovich from running Chelsea
In a statement, the Championship club said: “On behalf of the people of Middlesbrough and Teesside, Middlesbrough Football Club will donate its share of the gate receipts from the Emirates FA Cup sixth round tie against Chelsea to humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
“The club’s Member of Parliament Andy McDonald will assist with due diligence to ensure best delivery and maximum impact.”
Earlier on Friday, Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder said he had little sympathy for Chelsea’s predicament.
Abramovich’s investment fuelled an unprecedented era of success for the Blues as they won 19 trophies in the past 19 years, including five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.
A deadline for bids to buy Chelsea were to be submitted to American merchant bank Raine by Friday.
“It will go up for sale and it will be bought by a billionaire, who will possibly invest more money into it,” said Wilder.
“They’ll possibly invest in the stadium, invest in the facilities, so I don’t think there’s, in the football world, an incredible amount of sympathy over what’s happening.”
