Kicking Barriers: Ukraine's Amputee Soccer League

Ukraine's first amputee soccer league, the 'League of the Mighty,' launches amid the war. Organized by Ukraine's Association of Football, it brings together amputees for rehabilitation and normalization in society. With six teams participating, the tournament highlights the potential of sport in supporting war-wounded individuals.

In the face of daunting adversity, Ukraine has launched a groundbreaking effort to support its war-wounded citizens through sport. The 'League of the Mighty'—Ukraine's first soccer league exclusively for amputees—kicked off in Kyiv, drawing participants who have suffered limb loss in the ongoing conflict.

The championship, organized by Ukraine's Association of Football, underscores the power of community investment, as six teams across the nation competed fiercely over the weekend. Players, including lower-limb amputees as outfield members and goalkeepers with upper-limb amputations, played extraordinarly intensive matches.

The victorious team, Pokrova AMP, led by captain Valentyn Osovskyi, celebrated their win as a significant achievement. The league serves as both rehabilitation and societal normalization, a mission echoed by the association's president, Andriy Shevhenko, and adviser Olena Balbek, who emphasize sport as a means to foster wellbeing and inclusion for over 100,000 amputees in Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies.)