“The “Pokrova Lviv AMP” team was founded a year ago by the Salesian Fathers – congregation of the UGCC”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The Ukrainians and seven other Polish teams, which include many players of their countries’ national teams from Europe and the world, are participating in the Polish AMR Ekstraklasa championship (Amputee football – football for amputees – ed.).
“This is one of the best championships in Europe, where there are strong players, where there are team members of many national teams not only of Europe, but also of the world. In them, amputations are mainly related to congenital defects, the consequences of road accidents or experienced oncology. Back in October of last year, we started the negotiation process regarding participation in this championship and received an official invitation in December,” Bohdan Melnyk, head of the Pokrova Lviv AMP team, told RFE/RL.
Pokrova Lviv AMP team with fans Poland, Warsaw, October 26, 2024
Today’s goal gave the Ukrainians sixth place out of eight teams and this is a good result for beginners – says the team leader: “Our guys are very different from ordinary athletes, even professional ones. For them, there are no authorities, this military experience, their passion, confidence give results. They don’t pay attention to who is on the other side of the field, they go forward and it’s cool.”
The “Pokrova Lviv AMP” team was founded a year ago by the Salesian Fathers – congregation of the UGCC. Bohdan Melnyk went from the hospital to the rehabilitation center to collect the players. He says that for war veterans it is not only physical activity, but also psychological rehabilitation.
The team “Pokrova Lviv AMP” with the opponent from Ryashev the team “Stal” Poland, Warsaw, October 26, 2024
Valentyn Osovskyi, captain of the team “Pokrova Lviv AMP” Poland, Warsaw, October 26, 2024
“I have been in the Pokrova team since the very beginning. I was lying in the rehabilitation center and Bohdan and Konstantin – our captain – came to us. They were creating a team then. From the very beginning, it was for rehabilitation, for physical exertion. That’s how we started, we didn’t even think that we would reach such a professional level, but as you can see, now we play in the Polish Ekstraklasa league. Before that, I was not actively involved in football, I ran a little outside the village somewhere, at the district level,” says Mykola Gatala from Lviv Oblast.
Since March 2022, the man served in the ranks of the 36th Marine Corps Brigade. On the Zaporozhye direction, a serviceman stepped on a mine and lost his leg.
90% of the team are war veterans with leg or arm amputations, some of them are still active military personnel.
Bohdan Melnyk – head of the “Pokrova Lviv AMP” team Poland, Warsaw, October 26, 2024
“I was part of the 103rd Brigade of the Military Intelligence Service, based in the city of Lviv. Went to war as a volunteer after a full-scale invasion. On January 8, 2023, during one of the assaults in the direction of Kreminnaya, Luhansk region, one of the shrapnel, unfortunately, hit my knee. The surgeons failed to save my leg and so I received a leg amputation, but life does not end there. I continue to do what I love, before I didn’t know that such a sport existed, I thought that football was over,” says team captain Valentyn Osovskyi.
In addition to football, the player says, “their task is to remind the world that the war continues and Ukraine still needs the help of its partners to defeat the enemy.”
In addition to “Pokrova Lviv AMP”, three more teams of footballers with amputations have been created in Ukraine, so the manager of the Lviv team plans to organize the championship of Ukraine with AMP, as well as women’s and children’s teams.
PHOTO GALLERY: Euro-2024: the grandstand of the Kharkiv stadium damaged by the Russian troops and posters in support of the captured Azov citizens (photo)