POLES PROVIDED SHELTER AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
– “On February 23, 2022 – the day before the Russian attack – the Ukrainian short track championship was to be held in Kharkov. Late at night or early in the morning, the bombing began. The skaters were woken up by explosions and did not know what was happening.
Players and coaches began to evacuate, taking with them only the most important belongings. And since equipment is the most important thing for an athlete, most of the skaters came to us with only basic clothing and their ice skates,” says dr hab. Rafał Tataruch. “Help was offered by Białystok, where 25 Ukrainian skaters and 3 coaches were received, and by Opole, where 15 athletes and 3 coaches were taken care of. Ukrainian athletes have been training with us for a year now, they are safe, but unfortunately they are far from home.”
Polish skaters not only provided Ukrainian athletes with shelter and training opportunities, but also took the initiative to organise the Ukrainian short track championships in Opole.
“We managed to organise the Ukrainian short track championship for three age categories. It turned out to be a historic event because – as the secretary of the Ukrainian embassy told me – it was Ukraine's first championship in this discipline. The Minister of Sports and Tourism Kamil Bortniczuk, who appeared at the opening, was the patron. The championship was honoured by the presence of the first secretary of the Ukrainian embassy in the Republic of Poland, Mykola Hranowskyi, and the honorary consul of Ukraine in Opole, Irena Pordzik.
The situation we find ourselves in because of the war in Ukraine has shown how values that are important in sport come to fruition. Willingness to help selflessly, solidarity, open hearts – this is what we showed in the face of the terrorist invasion of Ukraine. I am proud to be Polish and, like our whole society, to have been able to get involved in helping the Ukrainians in these difficult moments.”
