“Match for Heroes": with the support of Oschad and MasterCard, a charity football match with stars and veterans on prostheses will be held in Kyiv

Mastercard and Oschadbank have announced the launch of a charity project aimed at promoting the social reintegration of people with amputations and the development of adaptive sports.

The project will also include a charity fundraiser to raise UAH 7.5 million for sports prosthetics for veterans. The project is being implemented with the support of the Ukrainian Football Association, Superhumans Center, Pokrova AMP Football Club, and MEGOGO.

Mastercard and Oschadbank have announced the launch of the “Match for Heroes” project, the key event of which will be a charity football match to be held on October 20 at the Viktor Bannikov Training Complex in Kyiv. Veterans with amputated limbs - patients of the Superhumans Center - and Ukrainian stars, including Anatoliy Anatolich, Oleksandr Pedan, Ivan Lyulenov, and others, will meet on the football field.

The game will be played in a 7v7 format, with two halves lasting 20 minutes each and a 15-minute break. Tickets to the match can be obtained by making a donation on the Superhumans Center: website: the first 250 participants who donate UAH 100 or more with a Mastercard from any bank will receive two invitations to the match. The match will be broadcast on the MEGOGO media service and on the MEGOGO Sport YouTube channel.

“The Match for Heroes is a tribute to all Ukrainians who, despite the circumstances and injuries, continue to move forward. Every day, we at Mastercard strive to create a world of equal opportunities for everyone, and with this project we want to take another step in building a Ukraine without barriers. We are pleased to join forces with our partners in an initiative that will open a new page in the development of barrier-free sports and reintegration of veterans,” said Inga Andreieva, CEO of Mastercard Ukraine and Moldova.

The charity project aims to raise UAH 7.5 million for sports prostheses for veterans who have lost their limbs. From September 20 to October 31, 2024, inclusive, UAH 1 from each transaction with a Mastercard card from Oschadbank will be transferred to the collection for Superhumans Center patients in need of sports prostheses.

“Assistance in recovery from injuries and reintegration of war veterans into civilian life is an important part of Oschadbank's inclusive program My Accessibility. Sports is one of the best ways to rehabilitate wounded men and women defenders, who often need high-quality sports prostheses for training and competitions. By joining forces within this project, we will be able to provide our heroes with the necessary prosthetics and thus once again show our gratitude and respect for the fact that Ukraine remains an independent and free state,” said Sergii Naumov, Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank.   

The project's goal is to overcome prejudice against people with disabilities and promote the social reintegration of amputee veterans, creating conditions for them to lead an active lifestyle.

“For almost two years of work, we have realized that the Superhumans Center not only returns lost opportunities to Ukrainians, but also opens up new dreams, goals, plans, and therefore achievements. Today, our leavers, who are able to stand on their own two feet again, conquer mountain peaks - even though they were not interested in tourism before, run marathons - even though they have never even put on sneakers before, and join professional sports, even though they never planned to. Moreover, they achieve great success not only in Ukraine but also in international competitions. That is why this project is so important to us. We are happy that we already have a long and positive experience of cooperation with each stakeholder, and now these partners have come together to give even more opportunities to those who definitely deserve it,” said Olga Rudnieva, CEO of Superhumans Center.

The Match for Heroes will be held in a unique format with the participation of players wearing sports prostheses, while taking into account the best practices of amputee football (football for people with amputations).

“Football is the most popular and widespread sport in the world, with extraordinary unifying and healing power. The Ukrainian Football Association supports people interested in adaptive sports and actively develops amputee football. There are no limits when you want to get back into the game! We thank our partners for the joint project and the important goal,” added Olena Balbek, Advisor to the President of the Ukrainian Football Association.