Sport Unites: young footballers from Ukraine

In April 2023, 22 young soccer players from the Sumy, Ukraine team participated in a Culture Against Bullets project that took them from their hometown, affected by constant bombings, to Jávea, Spain. This trip allowed them to return to train, compete and find moments of happiness in the midst of adversity.

The boys trained with four local teams from Jávea, Denia and Vergel, and participated in activities such as beach volleyball, kayaking and hiking, as well as visiting the Amjasa distillery plant in Jávea. The Club Nautico de Jávea gave them paddle and paddle surfing lessons.

They had memorable encounters with prominent sports figures such as Spanish soccer player Adrián Ortolá; and renowned tennis player David Ferrer, originally from Jávea, who shared his inspiring success story with them. Andriy Lunin, the Ukrainian goalkeeper for Real Madrid, presented them with signed jerseys.

The project was a success thanks to the collaboration of the Fiestas de la Virgen de Loreto de Jávea Commission and its then president, Juan Buigues. Juan managed to mobilize the members of the commission, Red Cross Jávea, Caritas Jávea, and the associations of retired people and housewives, who were in charge of cooking for the kids every day and organizing local activities for them. There are not enough words to express our gratitude.

This project gave them a break from the war and offered them a unique experience of cultural exchange and motivation to continue pursuing their dreams.