Youth football players from Ivano-Frankivsk region participated in testing within the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, aimed at discovering young talents.

On April 24, 150 boys and girls from Pniwsky, Pasichnyansky, Zeleny Lyceum, Bilyzorynska, Maximetska, Chyrnikivska Gymnasium, and Zeleno Primary School in the village of Pniw, Pasichnyany community became participants of the FIFA project to search for young talents.

After performing the State Anthem, all participants observed a minute of silence to honor fallen soldiers.

The opening ceremony was attended by the head of the youth football department at UAF Valeriy Zolotukhin, chairman of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Football Association Taras Klim, deputy chairman of IFAF Mykola Vasylyk, Pasichnyany village mayor Andriy Hunda, and chairman of Nadwornyanska District Football Association Ruslan Nesteruk.

Photo by IFOAF

The welcoming speeches were joined by the dance group of Maximetska village cultural center and artistic director Tetiana Maksymyuk from Bitkivsky SBC, who presented a beautiful dance and an emotional Ukrainian song to all participants of the sports event.

During the solemn ceremony, children received commemorative medals and certificates for their participation in this new interesting project, as well as football equipment and balls from UAF.

After that, together with coaches from the UAF Football Academy and their physical education teachers, the children participated in tests. Participants had to run 30 meters at speed both without a ball and with a ball, perform long jumps, as well as complete Illinois and Smart Goals tests for coordination skills, agility, and speed both without a ball and with a ball.