Legendary footballer speaks about a charity tennis match in support of Ukraine
Former head coach of the Ukrainian national team Andrey Shevchenko shared his thoughts on charity match “Iga Sventek and friends for Ukraine”, which took place today in Krakow. The legendary footballer became a special guest of the event.
The charity match helped raise 2 million zlotys (about 422 thousand euros) to help Ukraine. All proceeds will be donated to the UNITED 24 platform, the Elina Svitolina Foundation, and UNICEF Polska to support children and adolescents who have been affected by the war.
“I can only thank Sventek, because Iga’s attitude towards Ukraine is simply exceptional. And speaking of Poles, you are truly incredible. Your reaction to the misfortune that the Ukrainians faced is really something special,” Shevchenko said.
“It is clear that how and how much everyone follows the events in Ukraine is a personal matter for everyone. I think it comes in waves. It’s been 5 months, people seem to have stopped talking about it, but the war continues. With the help of such matches, we can talk about the war. We will maintain awareness of the situation in Ukraine. This event is an example of solidarity with Ukraine and against the war. Thanks to him, people will pay attention to the situation in Ukraine and will talk about it.”
“Am I upset that not many athletes talk about the war as loudly as Iga does? I have seen many different charity initiatives from Polish football, especially from Robert Lewandowski. Our Polish friends are especially helpful and kind to my country. Thank you very much for this.”
“But this is a personal choice for everyone. People live a peaceful life, they have everything they need, but they do not know the world in which Ukrainians live. The war changed everything in my life. Now I am here in Krakow to speak openly about this, because it can happen to anyone. People need to understand that when you’re being bombarded with rockets, everything else doesn’t matter. When the war started, everything changed for me.”
“We cannot give up. Our defenders are still on the front lines, and ordinary people are working hard to keep Ukraine alive and functioning. We, as athletes, must be united. We must send the right message to the whole world. Yes, we can help bring this war to an end.”
The charity match was attended by players from Ukraine and Poland – Sergiy Stakhovsky, Martin Pavelski, Iga Swiatek and Agnieszka Radwańska. The first racket of Ukraine Elina Svitolina, who suspended her career due to pregnancy, acted as a referee.
Ukraine is opposing a full-scale Russian invasion for the 150th day.
Source: Sportarena
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