The Ukrainian Karate Federation has expelled a married couple, Yevhen and Daria Pylypiuk, from the national team after they refused to return to Ukraine after participating in an international karate tournament in Venice. The federation announced that it plans to seek their lifelong disqualification from the World Karate Federation, as well as the deprivation of their honorary sports titles.
The Karate Federation of Ukraine accuses Yevhen of violating the law, namely, evading mobilization (Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Daria Pylypiuk, in turn, is accused of complicity in this violation. According to the Federation, the athletes failed to return to Ukraine after the tournament, despite the obligation to do so by December 11, 2024. Later, the couple took part in a tournament in Georgia, which was another fact of violation of their obligations.
Darya Pylypiuk denies the charges and claims that she was not part of the Ukrainian national team during the tournament in Venice and participated in the competition at her own expense. She also emphasizes that she is not registered in the military, as she is the mother of a small child, and that her club "Leader" abandoned her, leaving her without the opportunity to move to another club.
Yevhen Pylypiuk admits that he broke the rules by staying abroad, but emphasizes that his wife was not aware of his intentions and is not to blame for this. He also accuses the president of the Chernivtsi Karate Federation, Oleksandr Pikulin, of trying to cash in on the postponement of mobilization, although he failed to do so.
Oleksandr Pikulin, Yevhen's coach, notes that the athletes' actions have damaged the reputation of the entire team, especially against the backdrop of tragic events when other athletes gave their lives at the front. He believes that such violations should be punished to preserve the honor of Ukrainian sports.
Daria Pylypyuk, in turn, rejects Pikulin's accusations as slander, stating that she was always in touch and did not hide, as the coach claims.
Darya is currently in Chernivtsi and claims that she had no set deadline for returning to Ukraine. She also denies the advisability of stripping her of her sports awards, emphasizing that her achievements have nothing to do with her husband's actions. However, she did not answer the question of whether Yevhen Pylypiuk had returned from abroad.
