VICTORIA, Australia – A soccer club from New South Wales, the Western Sydney Wanderers has generously donated uniforms to a youth soccer team in the war-torn city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
Australian Ukrainian Jaroslav Duma came into contact with the youth team, Kolos, during a recent visit to Ukraine to volunteer with the not-for-profit organization Patriot Defence. The children lacked uniforms to play in the regional soccer competition in the Novoaidar raion in eastern Ukraine.
Upon his return to Australia, Mr. Duma, together with fellow Ukrainian community member Roman Dechnicz, approached Western Sydney through its solicitor, Elias el Khoury, seeking outfits for the Ukrainian team to play in. The club, known for its strong community focus, responded to the request and agreed to supply 20 uniforms in the spirit of promoting the world game.
“This is a great show of kindness by the Wanderers. Many of the children’s parents are fighting in the war, so that their kids can grow up in a free Ukraine,” Mr. Duma commented.
“Soccer grants them a degree of normality amidst the chaos in their country,” he added.
The ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, Dr. Mykola Kulynych, together with Messrs. Duma and Dechnicz met with Western Sydney officials at the Blacktown International Sportspark to receive the outfits. Mr. Duma will deliver them to the team during his upcoming visit to Ukraine.
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted the ambassador as saying of the donation: “It’s really great. We appreciate this gift, and it’s immense joy for our kids. We have a very tough time, we have a war time in the east but you can imagine that these young fellows, these young kids, will be so happy to play soccer [with] these shirts and balls that are a gift from our friends in Australia.”
The conflict in Ukraine began over two years ago when the Russian Federation annexed the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea and invaded eastern Ukraine.