Mastercard and Oschadbank announced the launch of a charitable project aimed at supporting the social reintegration of people with amputated limbs and promoting adaptive sports.

As part of the project, there will also be a charity collection totaling 7.5 million hryvnia for sports prosthetics for veterans. The project is supported by the Ukrainian Football Association, Superhumans Center, football club "Pokrova AMT," and MEGOGO.

Mastercard and Oschadbank announced the launch of the "Match for Heroes" project, with a key event being a charity football match that will take place on October 20 at Viktor Bannikov National Technical University in Kyiv. On the football field, veterans with amputated limbs — patients from Superhumans Center — and Ukrainian stars such as Anatoliy Anatolich, Oleksandr Pedan, Ivan Lyulenov, and others will meet.

The match will be played in a 7x7 format with two halves lasting 20 minutes each, plus a 15-minute break. Tickets for the match can be obtained by making a donation on the Superhumans Center website: the first 250 participants who donate at least 100 hryvnia via Mastercard from any bank will receive two invitations to the game. The match will be broadcast on the MEGOGO media service and on the YouTube channel MEGOGO Sport.

"Match for Heroes" is an opportunity for all Ukrainians who, despite circumstances and injuries, continue to move forward. Every day at Mastercard, we strive to create a world of equal opportunities for everyone, and with this project, we want to take another step towards developing barrier-free sports and the reintegration of veterans," said Inga Andreeva, General Director of Mastercard in Ukraine and Moldova.

The charitable project aims to collect 7.5 million hryvnia for sports prosthetics for veterans who have lost limbs. From September 20 to October 31, 2024, one hryvnia from each transaction made with a Mastercard card issued by Oschadbank will be transferred to the collection fund for Superhumans Center patients who need sports prosthetics.

"Helping veterans and veteran women recover after injuries and reintegrate into civilian life is an important part of Oschadbank's inclusive 'My Barrier-Free' program. Sports are one of the best ways to rehabilitate injured defenders, many of whom need quality sports prosthetics for training and competitions. By joining forces within this project, we will be able to provide our heroes with necessary prosthetic care and thus once again demonstrate our gratitude and respect for what Ukraine remains an independent and free country," said Sergiy Naumov, Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank.

The goal of the project is to overcome prejudices about people with disabilities and support the social reintegration of veterans with amputations, creating conditions for them to lead an active lifestyle.

"In almost two years of work, we have realized that Superhumans not only returns Ukrainians lost opportunities but also opens new dreams, goals, plans, and thus — achievements. Today our graduates who can stand on their feet again are conquering mountain peaks — although they never had an interest in mountaineering before, running marathons — although they never even put on running shoes before, coming into professional sports — although they never planned it. And more than that — achieving incredible success not only in Ukraine but also at world competitions. That is why this project is so important for us. We are happy that we already have a positive experience of cooperation with each stakeholder, and now these partners have come together to give even more opportunities to those who deserve them," said Olga Rudnyeva, CEO of Superhumans Center.

"Match for Heroes" will take place in an unique format involving players on sports prosthetics, taking into account the best practices of amputee football (football for people with amputation).

"Football is the most popular and widespread sport in the world that has extraordinary unifying and inspiring power. The Ukrainian Football Association supports people interested in adaptive sports and actively develops amputee football. There are no limits when there is a desire to return to play! Thank you to our partners for this joint project and its important goal," added Olena Balbek, member of the President's Board of the Ukrainian Football Association.