Officially. About the project of uniting championships among defenders of Ukraine

27.02.2019 17:00

The Football Federation of Ukraine has received letters from the Ombudsman of Ukraine on rehabilitation of combatants of Vadim Sviridenko and the Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Iryna Fries addressed to the President of FFU Andriy Pavelko.

Both appeals contain a proposal to consider the possibility of combining two championships among combatants into one all-Ukrainian tournament. In particular, Vadym Svyridenko notes that "football championships held under the auspices of the Football Federation of Ukraine, namely - the Open Championship of Ukraine ATO Heroes and the ATO Heroes Cup, it would be appropriate to hold annually as a single football event for all ATO / OOS heroes."

The Presidential Commissioner for Rehabilitation of Combatants proposes to join all unifying efforts to hold a single official football championship among combatants from 2019 to all law enforcement agencies of security and defense, public associations that provide programs for sports rehabilitation for defenders of Ukraine , as well as international funds to support Ukraine.

Minister Iryna Friz considers the combination of the two championships to be logical. According to her, this will contribute to the quality organization and conduct of competitions, greater coverage of persons in need of rehabilitation after the assignment, prevention of commercialization and politicization of football events with the participation of current servicemen of the security and defense sector of Ukraine, reducing the burden on military units which formed teams playing in two championships.

"We offer institutions of the security and defense sector of Ukraine, other interested organizations starting from the 2019 season to focus on the organization and holding of a single championship of Ukraine among the participants of the ATO / OOS. For its part, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs guarantees full support for this championship, "the minister's letter reads.

We will remind that in 2018 under the auspices of the Football Federation of Ukraine there were two tournaments in which teams formed from participants and veterans of fighting in Donbass took part. This is the Open Championship of Ukraine ATO Heroes and the championship of the All-Ukrainian Football League of ATO participants at the ATO Hero Cup. Both projects are aimed at supporting the psychological and social rehabilitation of our country's defenders.

A meeting of representatives of all interested departments and organizations on the possible unification of the two championships among the participants of hostilities into one tournament will take place on March 1 at the Ukrainian National News Agency "Ukrinform" (Kyiv, B./Khmelnytskoho St., 8/16). 15.00).

FFU will support any decision that will be made following the discussion of such an initiative, and will continue to support the defenders of Ukraine and assist in organizing football events in which participants in hostilities will participate.