Ukrainian Girls Football

On a frosty morning in southern Ukraine, football coach Vyacheslav Rol directs his team amid distant explosions: “Everybody on the bus!” A group of girls, aged between nine and 11, quickly boards.

Krystal Kherson, hailing from the southern frontline near their hometown, is en route to a competition in Mykolaiv, 70 kilometers west of Kherson, an area frequently shelled by Russian forces. Despite the daily threat, the 67-year-old coach believes the training is beneficial for the girls. “They forget about the bombs,” he insists, emphasizing the positive impact amid the challenging circumstances.

The occupied city of Kherson, under Russian control for eight months until Ukrainian troops reclaimed it in November, still resides near the frontline. As the team bus traverses war-ravaged terrain, the girls sing a local anthem, “Kherson, I dream of you at night!”, to uplift their spirits.

Deputy coach Igor Psurtyev reflects on the wartime period, recounting how he sought his players in the empty, devastated city during the occupation. In Mykolaiv, player Dana shares her journey, revealing that she initially disliked football but embraced it during the war. The 11-year-old, donning the club’s blue and green fluorescent jersey, explains how she relocated to Odesa due to a missile landing near her home.

On the pitch, the teams unite for the national anthem, hands on hearts, as Rol motivates the players. “I see before me girls that stayed strong during the occupation and the bombing. Nothing will stop them playing football!” The team observes a minute’s silence for the war dead, including their captain, who lost her father at the front.

As the whistle blows, the players’ families passionately cheer. Lyudmyla Kramarenko, Dana’s mother, recalls Dana’s nightmares during the city’s bombardment. “I had to sleep with her during the attacks,” she shares. Despite the challenges, Dana found solace in football. “I saw that it was important for her.”

At the competition’s end, Rol removes the Ukrainian flags, once hidden during the occupation. Reflecting on that tumultuous time, he recounts a surreal encounter with Russia’s FSB security service, who approached him to train a team for them. Refusing the offer, Rol played the role of a wise, elderly man, safeguarding the young athletes. In the tournament, Kherson’s girls secured a commendable third place out of six teams.

_{Repurposed article originally published in NDTV WORLD}