At the V. Bannikov NTU, competitions were held to mark the 84th anniversary of the founding of Luhansk Oblast

On Saturday, June 4, at the NTK named after V. Bannikov football fields in Kyiv, a tournament was held to commemorate the 84th anniversary of the founding of Luhansk Oblast.

At the V. Bannikov NTU, competitions were held to mark the 84th anniversary of the founding of Luhansk Oblast

Photo by the press service of the UAF

The competitions, organized with the support of the Ukrainian Football Association and the Luhansk Oblast Football Association, were attended by the football community of Luhansk region, including representatives of territorial communities and oblast and district football associations, children's and youth coaches, players of amateur teams, etc.

Photos by the press service of UAF

Participants were divided into four teams and played matches for 10 minutes each under a round-robin system, and after the completion of sports battles received footballs as gifts from UAF and the oblast association. By the way, the official referees of the tournament are representatives of Luhansk Oblast in the Ukrainian Premier League — Dmitro Oganesyan and Yevhen Danilenko.

Photos by the press service of UAF

“The war forced many members of the football family in Luhansk to leave their homes. Some left as early as 2014, while others were compelled to do so only recently due to military actions on the east front. Russian military aggression has deprived us of the opportunity to live on our land.

Photos by the press service of UAF

But life goes on. The main goal of this tournament is communication between people. It's not easy for all of us to live away from home, and football offers acquaintanceship and an opportunity to help each other. Ultimately, football lifts spirits and allows one to escape from war and everyday problems. And it shows that Luhansk is part of Ukraine!” — said the head of the Luhansk Oblast Football Association Igor Shopin.

Photos by the press service of UAF