The boys of the Ukrainian national under-18 ice hockey team continue to train hard, arriving last Thursday at the Corner Arena in Lugano, in light of the World Championships scheduled in Asiago from April 25 to May 1. We remember that their welcome was made possible thanks to the joint commitment of Juventus, the International Hockey Federation and the city of Lugano. They will stay in Ticino until Sunday. On Tuesday, they played a friendly match in Biaca against U-17 national team Rosococcus, which ended 6-2 in favor of Gialubli’s team.
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Many young athletes have been forced to flee because their mission is to raise their country’s flag by doing what they love: playing. “When we’re on the ice, it’s all right,” the Yellow-Blue Selection coach told Ticinonews. “We thank Lugano, the city, and the hockey team, who allowed us to train at our best despite the fears that haunt us and our boys.” All this “allows us to prepare well for the World Cup.”
“My parents are in Kharkiv”
Focusing on sports is not easy. “It’s not easy at all,” says one of the boys. “Of course, we do what we love: we play hockey, we work hard for the World Cup and in these moments it can seem simple. You also can’t think about what is happening at home, you are trying to simplify things.” But “My friends and relatives are in Ukraine. I am from Kharkiv, a city targeted by the Russian army, and my parents decided not to flee: they are trying to defend our house.
“Alcohol enthusiast. Twitter ninja. Tv lover. Falls down a lot. Hipster-friendly coffee geek.”
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