On October 6 in Korostyshev, the Champions Festival "Open Football Lessons" took place. The participants were greeted by the head of the Zhytomyr Oblast Football Association Ruslan Pavlyuk, deputy chairman of the JOFA Volodymyr Doroshenko, and executive director of the association Ruslan Mayevsky.

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"This year's festival is primarily aimed at providing psychological support to our children. We understand the current moral and psychological state of the country as a whole. Through sports, we want to lift the spirits of children, divert their attention from the terrifying realities of today, from the war. Football is one of the components that can do this."

A large number of participants responded positively to the invitation to take part in the event. In recent years, football has been reviving in the territory of Korostyshev community. Amateur, children's and veteran teams have appeared. We hope that the Champions Festival will give a boost to a positive mood among the population,"— emphasized the head of the oblast association Ruslan Pavlyuk.

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The project "Open Football Lessons" (Open Fun Football Schools) of the Ukrainian Association of Football, supported by UEFA's Children's Fund and the Cross-Cultural Projects Association (Denmark), is:

— psychosocial support for children affected by war, children of military personnel, and those who have suffered from the war;

— uniting and friendship between children affected by war and local children, social integration;

— knowledge about safety in wartime conditions;

— the philosophy of mass football — joy from playing instead of results at any cost;

— activation of local communities through intersectoral networks (teachers, coaches, psychologists, security experts, parents, youth leaders, local authorities, benefactors, etc.).

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Twelve educational institutions in the region were involved in the project. Volunteers conducted various ball exercises and relay races with children in 12 sections. Also, experts from DSNSS trained young participants on how to protect themselves from danger and behave in case of an emergency situation.

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All equipment used during the "Open Football Lessons," including balls, mannequins, chips, cones, and educational literature, was distributed among educational institutions that participated in the festival.