In Kyiv, a friendly wheelchair basketball match was held between a professional team of basketball players and veterans within the framework of the cooperation of the "Invictus Games" project and the "Live towards" Platform

On September 28, the Kyiv sports complex Veneto-Sport hosted the basketball «Equality Match». For the first time in Ukraine, the professional basketball team sat down in wheelchairs and played with the members of the Invictus Games community. The event took place within the framework of cooperation between the project «Invictus Games» and the platform «Live towards» from FUIB Bank. The platform helps to rediscover yourself after returning from the war and see new opportunities. With the support of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and charitable organization Stratcom Ukraine.

The event began with a moment of silence, in which the participants and guests honored the memory of the fallen soldiers, in particular Taras Shpuk - defender of Ukraine, coach and mentor of the Invictus Games, Warrior Games and the Air Force Trials national team in basketball and rugby on wheelchairs. Taras was the first wheelchair basketball coach in Ukraine for veterans. Today, Ukrainian veterans play rugby and basketball on wheelchairs thanks to Taras.

At the official opening of the speech, Ksenia Sikorska (Director of Marketing of FUIB), Tetyana Kolesnyk (Head of Social Initiatives of FUIB), Nataliya Kalmykova (Minister of Veterans Affairs), Tetyana Lomakina (Adviser-Commissioner of the President of Ukraine on Barrier-Free Issues) and Alina Frolova (Founder of the Invincible Games in Ukraine, founder of the Charitable Organization Stratcom Ukraine).

The breaks were also full of performances by the organizers, partners and creative teams: champions of Ukraine in cheerleading «Dragons», dancers of the National Team of Ukraine in parasport dances Ilona Slugovina and Oleksandr Onyshchenko, and Olena Chinka. The final part of the event was the performance of the vocal ensemble of the Cultural Forces.

«The match had a special meaning for me. It was also a tribute to such important people as Taras, whom I missed a lot at this match, and at the same time a reminder of the power of sports. We go to the court next to professional basketball players and are also high from the game, from the very emotion of the competition. This is where the main — barriers between veterans and civilians just fall. There is reciprocity in this: we share our own experience and at the same time learn new things from them. It's about equality, about mutual respect and what really unites us much more than divides», — shared by Mykhailo Damaskin, veteran, national selection participant of the Invictus Games, participant of the Equality Match as part of the Invictus team.

The "Equality Match" was the start of a new project [Extra]ordinary, initiated by the platforms "Live towards" and  "We Are of the Same Blood" from FUIB. This project will provide free induction training for veterans from October 8, helping them recover through adaptive sports. The goal of the — project is to show that adaptive sports can become not only a way to recover, but also a way to a new life: with movement, confidence, victories over oneself and new meanings.

A collection of merch – t-shirts and sweatshirts was created especially for [Extra]ordinary, which the guests of the event were able to try on and purchase exclusively first. The mechanics of the project are simple: 1 order = 1 adaptive training. You can order merch now on the website - https://lifesavingmerch.com.ua/nadzvychajni,, and from October 8, all ordered units of the collection will be converted into adaptive training for veterans.

«Although the final whistle of the "Equality Match" sounded, this event  is just the beginning of the journey. This game became a powerful starting point for the [Extra]ordinary project. We didn't just hold a competition — we created a symbol that proves: adaptive sports can be a confident step towards a new life for our veterans. Hundreds of training sessions are ahead to help bring back a sense of strength, confidence and freedom of movement. We encourage everyone to join this important mission, because every step, every merch order — is a new training for our [Extra]ordinary defenders» — summarize the creators of the platform «Live towards».

Reference:

«Live towards» – initiated by FUIB large-scale platform for the integration of veterans in partnership with Veteran HUB, Superhumans, Invictus Games Ukraine and Uklon Inclusive. Its goal is – to help those returning from war integrate qualitatively into financial processes, labor relations, entrepreneurship and society in general. Initiatives within the "Live towards" platform contribute to the creation of new opportunities for veterans, as well as motivate businesses, communities and all Ukrainians to take steps towards each other. You can learn more about the platform, implemented and planned activities and join initiatives on the website zhyty-nazustrich.com.ua.

Invictus Games in Ukraine — is a project whose activities are aimed at supporting and developing veterans and servicemen who have been injured, or fell ill while on duty. This is a great opportunity for veterans to unite around sports, become part of a large community of communities and influence veterans throughout Ukraine.

The project was created on the initiative of FUIB together with the Adsapience agency.