No more critical issues in Ukraine's Euro 2012 preparation, promises Bubka

By Tom Degun at the Park Lane Hilton in London

February 7 – Sergey Bubka (pictured), one of the one of the most influential figures in world sport, has calmed fears that preparations for the 2012 European Championships in Ukraine and Poland are behind schedule as he assured that huge progress has been made over the last two years to ensure everything is ready on time.

Ukraine rather than Poland has been at the centre of the concerns for the event with UEFA having warned in 2010 that the event would be moved from the country unless construction work improved dramatically.

However, the country has since convinced UEFA that they are ready to host the competition with Ukrainian pole vault legend Bubka, a senior member of Euro 2012, promising that there will be no more delays in getting ready to host the prestigious competition.

“Huge progress has been made in the last two years, when the new President [Viktor Yanukovych] and Government came in,” Bubka said here during a visit to London where he had been attending the Laureus Awards.

“There are no more dangerous or critical issues to host Euro 2012.

“The stadiums are ready, the airports are ready and there are just one or two small things that need to be fixed in the terminal in March in Kyiv.

“Donetsk is already at the final stage.”

Bubka, who is also President of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, has also said that there will be no shortage of accommodation for the fans.

All of England’s group matches will be played in Ukraine but it has been reported in that many of the fans will be unable to book accommodation in the country for the games and will be forced to fly in and out of the country on the same day.

“Our accommodation is getting better all the time and it will be sorted by Euro 2012,” said Bubka, who was today meeting with Mayor of London Boris Johnson and representatives of England supporter groups.

“We are in the final stages of finalising accommodation for the event.

“We will be prepared because this event is so important for Ukraine and is opening Ukraine to the world to see.”

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