“Scorch, my crystal ball is showing a sports update from Ukraine,” said Verum. “Yes, I heard the news too,” said Scorch nodding and smiling at the same time, “Ukraine is set to resume domestic football competitions this month after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s approval.”
“Ukraine last played in December 2021. Then the league took a three-month winter break. But things changed in February and the league was forced to stop playing…,” informed Verum.
“What happened to the league?” said Felix scratching his head.
“Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year,” said Scorch, rolling her eyes and tapping on Felix’s head in an attempt to wake his memory.
“Oh, yes! The war. I remember. It is still ongoing,” said Felix.
“The Ukrainian Premier League or UPL is an annual football championship. The announcement to restart the games was made in July,” said Scorch.
“But how will they play with all the fighting still on,” said Orak.
“They have made preparations. There will be military security. Other safety measures have also been put into place. For instance, stadiums will have shelters for any air raid sirens. And the most important thing, there will be no spectators,” said Scorch.
“The Russian attack has cost the country a lot. Loss of lives, property damage, and economical crisis,” said Felix thoughtfully.
“Indeed. The stadiums and training grounds are damaged. Foreign players too left Ukrainian teams following the invasion.
However, the big decision to restart games has received applause from the head of the Ukrainian Football Association, Andriy Pavelko, and players too. The players are back at training already,” said Scorch.
“Where are the Russian forces? Will they not interrupt,” asked a concerned Felix.
“From what the reports show, the Russian forces have moved to the east and south Ukraine, and fighting has reduced near the capital Kyiv and other places. That allows the sport to resume in some relatively safer areas,” informed Verum, reading from the update on her crystal ball.
“I truly hope Ukraine finds strength and hope through these games. The games will help the nation heal,” added Scorch hopefully.