Heavyweight boxing brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko were mourning their father after the 64-year-old died after a long battle with cancer.\nFormer Soviet Air Force colonel Wladimir Klitschko had played a key role in a clean-up after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in his native Ukraine in 1986.
\nIt is thought the cancer was caused by his exposure to radiation in the aftermath.
\nMr Klitschko had been suffering with cancer for a long time and spent his last days in hospital.
\nBut Klitschko was able to watch his son Wladimir beat David Haye to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion from his hospital bed in Hamburg, Germany, on July 2.
\nKlitschko was then moved to Kiev where he died on Wednesday.
\nA statement from the family said: \u2018After a long and severe illness died Wladimir Klitschko Rodionovich, father of boxing world champion Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko.
\nThe brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, have postponed all their promotional work after learning of the news.
\n\u2018Both Wladimir and Vitali were devastated when they heard,\u2019 the Germany-based brothers\u2019 manager Bernd Boente said to the Times of India.
\n\u2018It had been clear for a long time that their father didn\u2019t have much longer to live,\u2019 Mr Boente said.
\n\u2018It was nice that their dad was able to follow the fight on television at the hospital,\u2019 Mr Boente told the Times of India.
\nBoth brothers, Wladimir and Vitali have returned to their native Ukraine to be with their mother for the funeral.
\nWladimir Klitschko now holds the IBF, WBO and WBA belts. Alongside brother Vitali, the WBC champion, the brothers now hold all four of the major world titles.
\nVitali junior is currently preparing to defend his WBC title against Tomasz Adamek in Poland this September.<\/p>\n
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