UAF to host inaugural Winter Amputee Football Cup

08.01.2025 18:00

On January 11–12, the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) will organize the Winter Cup — the first amputee football tournament in Ukraine’s history, as part of the League of Mighty social project.

Five amputee football teams from Kyiv, Lviv, and Cherkasy will compete: AMP FC Kyiv, MSC Dnipro, FC Pokrova AMP, FC Pokrova-2, and Shakhtar Stalevi.

Every player embodies courage, resilience, and determination. This weekend, they will battle for the title of Winter Champions.

The tournament will take place at the Dynamo Kyiv training facility in Koncha-Zaspa, and spectators will be free to enter.

The matches will be streamed live on the UAF’s YouTube channel, with the final match broadcasted by the Winter Cup’s partner, UPL TV.

“Amputee football is not entirely new to Ukraine. The first teams were formed after the Afghan War. However, this sport is now gaining momentum, and we have the potential to develop it further and draw public attention.

According to FIFA regulations, amputee football is played without prosthetics, only on crutches. This levels the playing field, as amputations vary. Matches are held on a nearly standard football field (60x40 meters), with halves lasting up to 25 minutes each. The sport is highly demanding and requires dedicated training.

Amputee football is open to everyone — men, women, and children alike. In Ukraine, there are mixed teams where women compete equally with men. Field players must have an amputation of one lower limb, while goalkeepers must have an amputation or congenital defect of an upper limb. Players are only allowed to use their healthy legs to control the ball, adding a significant technical challenge.

The UAF has made the development of amputee football a priority and launched the League of Mighty project to support it. The initiative includes gathering information on local hubs, helping groups form teams, and fostering a growing community of players.

As part of this project, the UAF will host the first Winter Cup on January 11–12 at the Dynamo Kyiv indoor arena in Koncha-Zaspa. The event will feature five teams, with an open training session on January 12 for newcomers and enthusiasts from various cities, including Odesa, Lutsk, Irpin, and Kyiv.

The UAF aims to make the Winter Cup an annual event and establish a full-fledged Ukrainian Amputee Football Championship. Until now, active Ukrainian players have competed in the Polish championship.

Amputee football already has global and European associations that organize World and European Championships. The Ukrainian men’s national team recently participated in the EURO 2024 Amputee Football Championship in France, while the women’s team competed in the World Cup late last year.

Globally, there are slightly over 1,000 professional amputee football players. In Ukraine, with over 100,000 individuals with amputated limbs, the UAF hopes to attract many of them to the sport, including children.

As you can see, amputee football is a widely recognized sport worldwide. We believe many Ukrainians will be inspired to join our projects and contribute to this incredible sport,” - shared Olena Balbek, Advisor to the UAF President on social projects and communications, during the national telethon.