“Match for Heroes”: veterans on prostheses played a charity football match with Ukrainian stars

On October 20, a unique sporting event took place in Kyiv - a charity football game organized by Mastercard and Oschadbank. At the Viktor Bannikov Training Center stadium, 16 veterans with amputated limbs - patients of the Superhumans Center - and Ukrainian stars met. Among the participants of the game were Artem Pyvovarov, Anatoliy Anatolich, Oleksandr Pedan, Ivan Liulenov, Oleksandr Teren, Viktor Vatsko, Oleksandr Sydorenko (“Fozzy”). The match was supported by the Ukrainian Football Association, Superhumans Center, Pokrova AMP Football Club and MEGOGO.

The participants played in mixed teams in a 7x7 format, two halves of 20 minutes each, taking into account the practices of amputee football (football for people with amputations). About a thousand spectators in the stands witnessed an exciting game between the participating teams Dyke Pole and Kholodnyi Yar, which ended with a score of 2:2. The goals were scored by: Volodymyr Zhezlo (Dyke Pole, 8th minute), Artem Pyvovarov (Kholodnyi Yar, 18th and 32nd minutes) and Marian Drach (Dyke Pole, 26th minute).

The project aims to promote the social reintegration of people with amputations and support the development of adaptive sports. The project is also running a charity fundraiser for sports prosthetics for veterans until the end of October. To date, UAH 7,677,000 has been raised. You can join the collection by donating on the website  Superhumans Center.

“The emotions on the field and in the stands were truly incredible, and we saw not just a football match, but a manifestation of the power of the human spirit, mutual support and indomitability. The Match for Heroes demonstrated the unique ability of sports to unite people and overcome any barriers. At Mastercard, we strongly believe in equal opportunities for all, and this event was a great example of how we can make this belief a reality. We will continue to support projects aimed at developing a barrier-free and open society, ensuring that everyone, without exception, can realize their potential,” emphasized Inga Andreeva, General Director of Mastercard in Ukraine and Moldova.

In addition, from September 20 to October 31, 2024, inclusive, one hryvnia from each transaction with Mastercard from Oschadbank will be transferred to the collection for Superhumans Center patients in need of sports prostheses.

“Our support for sports for people with disabilities is a strategic direction of Oschadbank's inclusive program My Accessibility. The bank is the general partner of the national Paralympic team. Ukrainian Paralympians surprised the world with excellent results at the last Summer Olympics in Paris: they won fifth place in terms of the total number of medals. Likewise, the participants of the Match for Heroes football game are an example of courage and resilience of Ukrainians for the whole world. We thank them for this! Among other things, they convince their brothers and sisters-in-arms who were injured during the war that it is possible to live a full life after severe injuries and amputations!” comments Serhii Naumov, Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank.       

Adaptive sports, including amputee football, play a significant role in the physical and psychological rehabilitation and social reintegration of veterans.

“It is through sports that our superheroes realize their capabilities and regain their self-confidence. Playing football with the own child again is a dream that almost every patient talks about when setting rehabilitation goals. To be able to realize this dream is the work of a large team of the center and our partners. Thanks to the initiative of the Ukrainian Football Association and the support of Mastercard and Oschadbank, this dream has come true for 7 of our superheroes. Due to the support of thousands of Ukrainians, this dream can become a reality for dozens of boys and girls who not only want to get back on their feet, but also to run, jump and score their first goal or run the first kilometer with an iron limb. Sport returns not only physical abilities, it also returns self-confidence. The Match for Heroes has inspired thousands of people who have lost their limbs and are still waiting for their prostheses,” said Olga Rudnieva, CEO of Superhumans Center.

The match was commented on by Serhiy Lukyanenko and Vadym Shevyakin, MEGOGO commentators, Serhiy Zhukovsky, a veteran and patient of the Superhumans Center, and Anton Tyutyun, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank. The match was refereed by Dmytro Kubryak, a football referee who spent 5 months in Russian captivity in 2022 but returned to refereeing after his release.

“We have witnessed an emotional and colorful football match. The Match for Heroes showed that football is more than the rules in the regulations and has an impact far beyond the football field.  First of all, football is a fair fight, a focus on the moment, a sense of unity and support. And we saw all this in the match between Dyke Pole and Kholodnyi Yar. It's also a team game, and the Match for Heroes gathered the best team. I would like to thank Oschadbank, Mastercard and Superhumans for their attention to adaptive football and their powerful project. The game is on!” added Olena Balbek, Advisor to the President of the Ukrainian Football Association.

The match was broadcast live on the MEGOGO media service and the MEGOGO Sport YouTube channel. You can watch the recording here.