Former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has lauded the sports community for coming together to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes following the invasion of Ukraine last week.
Since the beginning of what Russian President Vladimir Putin has called "a special military operation", Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes have been frozen out of international events by many sporting bodies.
Belarus has been a key staging area for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"I'm proud of the world's unity and seeing sporting communities standing together - the International Olympic Committee, boxing federations, UEFA, FIFA, Formula One," Wladimir Klitschko told Sky Sports.
"Ban Russian teams from participating. I have nothing against the athletes but they are presenting the regime and in some way the connection with this war," Klitschko said.
"It's never enough until the war is going to be stopped but it's important to show the world is not okay with this war, that the sporting world is not okay with it."
Klitschko and his brother Vitali, also a former world heavyweight champion and now the mayor of Kyiv, have both taken up arms against invading Russian forces.
"It's a very challenging time in the lives of Ukrainians. I was never thinking I'm going to face the war," Wladimir Klitschko said.
"You see and hear the explosions, the rockets, the destroyed vehicles, buildings - it's absolutely terrifying what the war can do. I'm proud of the Ukrainian nation. Everyone stands for each other. I have never been as proud to be Ukrainian as now."
Former Ukraine striker and manager Andriy Shevchenko called for an end to the war in his homeland, telling Sky Sports: "There are terrible things happening...people dying, children dying, missiles pointing in our houses. We need to find a way to stop the war."
The ex-Chelsea player revealed his mother and sister were in the capital Kyiv and said: "I tried many times (to persuade them to leave). But the answer is no. They want to stay there. This is the Ukrainian spirit."
Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful men's doubles team in tennis, they will raise funds at this month's Indian Wells tournament to support Elina Svitolina's drive to provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees.
Former world number three Svitolina is trying to unite the tennis world behind her country following Russia's invasion and said she would donate her prize money from the ongoing Monterrey Open in Mexico to the Ukrainian army.
The Bryan twins said they will launch a 'Racquets for Refugees' auction, which will feature tennis racquets autographed and donated by current and former tennis players, during the ATP and WTA event at Indian Wells, California.
"We are all heartbroken to see the tragedy unfold in Ukraine," Bob Bryan said in a statement. "Children should be on playgrounds and tennis courts not in bomb shelters and trains fleeing their homes.
"The tennis world is a close-knit family, and I am confident that when we kick off the auction on 8 March we will have an amazing level of support from players."
