Boxer Neeraj Goyat lends helping hand to students stuck in Ukraine amid Russian attack
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Goyat, who has travelled extensively to compete but not in Ukraine, claims to have close friends in the country's professional boxing circuit and he says they are coming in handy in helping students stranded in Lviv."
Just this evening 32 students have been safely moved to Poland through a transport service that I managed to arrange through a local boxing contact Ostap (a boxing official). Another 14 are on their way to the Polish border from Lviv," Goyat told PTI about his efforts.
The 30-year-old said he first formed a whatsapp group of "2-3 of his close contacts", including a promoter and a logistics manager who have been involved in boxing competitions that he has been a part of the Indian government is also engaged in a frantic mission to evacuate the students, most of them studying medicine, and special flights are being arranged for them through neighbouring countries as Ukraine's airspace remains closed.
"I had posted on Twitter asking anyone needing to help to reach out to me. There is a friend of mine who has set up a shelter near the Polish border in Lviv to help the distressed students. It's about 70km from the border. It's a long chain," Goyat said.
Goyat is among the Indian boxers who have found success professionally. He has lost only twice in his 18 fights."I thought of helping after I got to know about the pain and fear in Ukraine through my contacts. It is good if I can be of any use," he said.