With EU Support, the Ukrainian Football Association Held a Football Tournament Bringing Together Boys and Girls

At the V. Bannikov National Training Complex, the Ukrainian Association of Football held a tournament as part of the international social project “Target — Young Male and Female Footballers as Ambassadors of Gender Equality.”

The international social project “Target — Young Male and Female Footballers as Ambassadors of Gender Equality” aims to promote gender equality within youth football teams and beyond. It demonstrates the commitment of European partners and the sports community to ensuring freedom of choice and equal opportunities for everyone — girls, boys, women, and men — to be part of sport and to hold leadership positions.

The project is implemented with support from the European Union. UAF’s partners in the project are the Latvian Football Federation, the Romanian Football Federation, the Malta Football Association, UNIMORE (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), FORMODENA (an Italian vocational education and training centre in Modena), and EURACTIV (an independent pan-European media network).

“You have a unique opportunity in this tournament to play on a pitch where Ukraine’s youth and national teams have played. I hope some of you will make it into the national team — women’s or men’s,” said Ihor Hryshchenko, Secretary General of the UAF.

Eight teams from across Ukraine come together on the pitch

Young footballers born in 2012–2013 from Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lutsk, Kostopil, and Shpola took to the field. Eight teams took part in the tournament: Mariupolchanka, DYuSSh Podil, Ivano-Frankivsk Sports Lyceum, Amazonka, Viorika, Kostopil Sports Lyceum, Ateks-DYuSSh No. 16, and Zhaivir. Following the group stage, the teams competed in two leagues — Gold and Silver.

Before the awards ceremony, participants watched video messages from the ambassadors of the “Target” project — Ukraine’s national team goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin and women’s national team player Daria Apanashchenko addressed the children.

“It’s really great that you’re playing this ‘Target’ tournament together. Girls and boys are showing that anything is possible in football. So enjoy the game, keep developing — and everything will be wonderful,” Anatoliy Trubin added.

“I want to tell you that your place is wherever you want to be. If that’s the football pitch — go out, play, and enjoy it. May respect, support, and love for football win,” Daria Apanashchenko told the young athletes.

A special moment of the awards ceremony was the appearance of Ukraine women’s national team player Veronika Andrukhiv. She congratulated the teams and presented her own special award — best player of the tournament. It went to Sofia, goalkeeper of the Ivano-Frankivsk Sports Lyceum team, to whom Veronika personally gave her jersey.

“I’m glad to be here today. I wish you not to stop at what you’ve achieved and to keep moving forward only. I’d especially like to congratulate the team from Ivano-Frankivsk — that’s the team where I started my football journey,” she said.

In the Gold League, Ivano-Frankivsk Sports Lyceum took first place. Zhaivir FC from Shpola (Cherkasy region) came second, and DYuSSh Podil (Kyiv) came third. Kostopil Sports Lyceum (Rivne region) received a participation award.

In the Silver League, Amazonka FC from Lutsk (Volyn region) became champion. Mariupolchanka (Donetsk region) took second place, and Viorika (Kyiv) came third. Ateks-DYuSSh No. 16 (Kyiv) received a participation award.

“On this day, we brought girls and boys together. We are fairly fighting to grow the popularity of women’s football. And as part of this tournament, the boys supported the girls, and together they created an incredible synergy on the pitch: they drew on each other’s strengths, and the girls showed their character, strength, and unbreakable spirit. It was truly an amazing combination,” summed up Anastasia Klipachenko, Head of the UAF Women’s and Girls’ Football Committee.

Source: womensfootball.com.ua