WORLD champion boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who has joined the battle in Urkaine, previously surprised fans when he appeared at a press conference with a hurl and sliotar.
The Ukrainian also spoke about how he had been learning about the ancient Irish game of hurling.
Ahead of his fight against Britain's Derek Chisora in London in October 2020, Usyk was spotted carrying the hurl and sliotar.
He told Belfast fighter Tommy McCarthy, who was also boxing on the London bill at the time, that it "was a gift from Mikey Marlow in Holy Trinity in Ireland", known to be the west Belfast boxing club in Turf Lodge.
Mikey, who was 13 at the time, had sent the gifts to Usyk who later sent the teenager a video of thanks and signed a Holy Trinity club vest, which had also been delivered to the boxer.
The memories of his interest in hurling have resurfaced again after Usyk hit the headlines when it emerged he had enlisted with the Kyiv Territorial Defence following Russia's invasion.
He returned to Kyiv to take up arms and defend his country and said he did not know what his future holds in sport.
It came as talks were being held with Anthony Joshua over a rematch after the Ukrainian stripped him of his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO world heavyweight titles last year.
But Usyk told CNN: "I really don't know when I'm going to be stepping back in the ring.
"My country and my honour are more important to me than a championship belt."
Usyk had been accused of travelling to the UK to avoid the fighting, which he quickly refuted by flying to Warsaw in Poland and driving almost 500 miles back home and over the border to Kyiv.
He was later pictured toting a large machine gun before announcing he has joined the Kyiv Territorial Defence.
"Dear Ukraine and dear Ukrainians, some wrote about me running away," he said.
"Not true, I had a work trip and now I'm back. I'm home.
"Friends, we need to unite together and overcome this, because we are faced with exceptional difficulties.
"I'm very overcome with emotions and I'm very concerned for my country and for our people. Friends we must stop this war and we must do it together."
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