Fasting of pain, faith and hope
On the morning of January 23 Russian terrorists again attacked Kyiv. Under a missile attack hit the Lokomotiv sports complex – the base of the Second League club of the same name, a sports school where hundreds of little football players trained, the place where the children’s basketball club Vedmedi of two-time NBA champion Stanislav Medvedenko conducted training. We show what SK Lokomotiv looks like now – a place that has become home both for thousands of Kyiv boys and girls, and for immigrants from other regions forced to leave their cities and villages due to Russia’s large-scale military aggression.
Lokomotiv is the oldest (in the summer it will celebrate its 105th anniversary) and one of the most numerous clubs in the capital. In its structure, in addition to the first team itself, there are 14 more children’s teams of different ages – from those born in 2006 to 2018. Last year, the club entered its first team into the Second League championship, which finished the first part of the season in 11th place, one point behind 10th position.
After the full-scale military invasion of Russia in February 2022, Lokomotiv was one of the first Kyiv clubs to resume the training process in Kyiv – in April of the same year. “As soon as this, I mean the resumption of training, became known, many children returned from abroad, where they had gone at the beginning of the great war,” club director Alexander Egorov told Sport Arena. — Youth Sports School Lokomotiv is one of the best in the country. Our teams perform excellently for their ages: the guys born in 2006 are champions of Ukraine, those from 2005 are finalists, the teams from 2008, 2009 and 2010 are among the best at their level. The country’s leading clubs are already hunting for our players of these ages.”
Lokomotiv is not giving up even now. And it’s definitely not going to stop, although Russia has destroyed the work of hundreds of people and caused millions in losses. Fortunately, there were no casualties after the rocket attack, although there were wounded, and the training process at the club and sports complex will be suspended.
“The most terrible morning for the big Loko family! Another act of terrorism from worthless scum who have no values. As a result of the morning missile attack on Ukraine, the Resists damaged our dear Lokomotiv. A club where hundreds of children from all over Ukraine train every day. A place where, in spite of everything, from the first day of the war everyone rallied, accepted children from the occupied territories, invested their strength, desires, and soul. From the first days of the war, we united, collected help and fought together for victory!,” the club’s statement says. “Loko suffered significant damage, the base was destroyed.”
Today Loko survived, you will continue to survive! We are all united by our native colors. The training process has been temporarily suspended, but no Katsap evil spirits can stop this Locomotive!”
Source: Sportarena
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
