‘Just Don't Allow Russian Athletes to Play': Ukrainian Shuttler Yevheniia Kantemyr Opens Up on War, Family Separation

New Delhi, August 18: Yevheniia Kantemyr had every reason to celebrate after fighting back from a difficult second game to defeat Germany's Miranda Wilson 12-21, 21-13, 21-17 in the Round of 64 at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi on Tuesday (August 18).

The Ukrainian women's singles player, however, was carrying far more than the pressure of a first-round match.

For Kantemyr, representing Ukraine on the biggest stage has a significance that extends well beyond badminton. The 21-year-old has been living away from her homeland for around four years after Russia's invasion forced her to leave Ukraine at the age of 16. She first moved to France before establishing her current training base in Italy, while her mother and brother live in Slovakia.

After her victory over Wilson, Kantemyr spoke openly about the personal cost of the war, being separated from her family, the difficulty of living away from home and the responsibility she feels while representing Ukraine internationally.

A comeback shaped by the conditions

Kantemyr admitted that the second game proved difficult, particularly because of the conditions on court.

"Yeah, that's true because the second game was tricky and it's really windy, so I was not able to adapt well, fast to that side. But yeah, I'm happy that in the first set I managed to play there," she said.

The Ukrainian found a way to regain control in the decider, with the change of ends helping her settle. "I think it was good that I started the third game on the side where I feel better, and that's why I had the advantage of getting points. So it helped me a lot, I guess," Kantemyr said.

"I was more focused on the second part of the match, of course, so it helped."

The 21-13, 21-17 turnaround in the final two games completed a determined comeback and sent Kantemyr into the next round.

But the significance of the win became clearer when she spoke about what representing Ukraine means to her.

'We are happy that we can represent it at a higher level'

Kantemyr said Ukrainian athletes have an added responsibility when they step onto the international stage.

"Yeah, of course it's important, because especially we are like top players now, and we are happy that we can represent it also at a higher level and show good results and just to make the country proud," she said.

That responsibility has been particularly personal for Kantemyr, whose own life was dramatically altered by the war.

She has not lived in Ukraine for approximately four years. "I'm not living in Ukraine like four years already. Because it's quite a bad situation there, so I was forced to leave," she said.

Forced to leave home at 16

The move away from Ukraine came when Kantemyr was still a teenager. "Of course, it was hard in the beginning, but of course I adapted, especially because I was 16 when I left, so I was a kid," she said.

Life has become somewhat easier with time, but being away from home remains difficult.

"And now it's a bit better because, I mean, I have a team which supports me, a federation, country, so it helps," Kantemyr said.

Her current badminton life is based in Italy, where she trains under an Italian coaching setup.

"We base in Italy now, because our coaches are Italian. So we stay there," she said.

Kantemyr trains in Milan, while her family lives elsewhere.

'We stay separate'

The physical distance from her family has been one of the hardest aspects of her journey. "I was forced to leave at 16 away from parents also, because we stay in separate places with my parents, with my brother. So that was very hard at the beginning," she said.

Her mother and brother are now living in Slovakia, a country close to Ukraine.

"They live in Slovakia now. It's a country close to Ukraine. They are safe, but we stay separate because they just live there and I have to stay in Italy for practice."

The separation is not occasional or temporary. Kantemyr said she sees her family at most twice a year.

"Yeah, I remember," she said when asked whether she remembered the first time she was separated from them.

"I see them like maximum twice a year, so it's hard, of course."

For a young athlete who left home at 16, the sacrifice has been immense.

Badminton became the reason to leave

Kantemyr's decision to move was closely tied to her career. Staying in the place where her family had relocated would have meant losing access to the training environment she needed to continue progressing.

"I wanted to play badminton and I knew that in the place where they decided to be, I was not able to practise and to stay," she explained.

Her coach then helped arrange an opportunity in France. "So my coach helped me to go to France. First I was in France, so they found a centre for me, and I was living there and practising there."

She later moved again, eventually establishing her base in Italy. The decision meant choosing between staying closer to her family and continuing the sporting career she had worked towards.

'When I'm on court I think only about badminton'

Despite everything happening away from the court, Kantemyr has learned to separate her personal circumstances from competition.

"We know how to manage these things already, because it's a long, long time already happened to us," she said.

"And when I'm on court, I think only about badminton."

That ability to compartmentalise has become part of her life as an athlete.

But she acknowledged that the situation back home remains deeply troubling.

"The situation in Kyiv, in the capital, is terrible," she said.

"My home is safe, but yeah, it's a very bad situation now and it's like not getting better with four years already, or how long it is. So it's very sad and frustrating."

'Just don't allow Russian athletes to play'

Kantemyr was asked what message she would like to send to the wider sporting world about the ongoing war.

Her response was direct. "Just don't allow Russian athletes to play," she said.

When asked about the argument that athletes should not be held responsible for decisions made by their government, Kantemyr acknowledged the complexity but maintained her position.

"Yeah, but you don't know about those athletes, because some of the athletes, they were posting also on social media something," she said.

"So, yeah, of course I understand, but it's not nice, I mean."

Kantemyr said she had not personally played against Russian athletes, although she had seen them at tournaments.

"No, I never met them on court. I didn't play against them," she said.

"But I mean, we saw, of course, them in the hall. But nothing personal to them, of course, but just the country."

A life rebuilt around badminton

Kantemyr's story is not simply about an athlete overcoming difficult conditions to compete. It is about a young woman who has had to build a new version of home around her sport.

Her family is in Slovakia. Her training base is in Milan. Her career continues under the Ukrainian flag.

The separation has lasted for years, and yet the motivation remains clear.

The result against Wilson was another step forward on the court, but for Kantemyr, every appearance at a major international tournament carries a larger purpose.

She wants to represent Ukraine, produce results and give her country something to be proud of.

And while the circumstances that forced her away from home remain painful, the 21-year-old has found a way to keep moving forward.

"When I'm on court I think only about badminton," she said.

For now, that court is in New Delhi. And after her comeback against Wilson, Kantemyr's World Championships journey continues.