According to the President of the Estonian Olympic Committee Urmas Sõõrumaa,
support for Ukraine is important: “Everything we can do to uphold the will of
the Ukrainian people while protecting their freedom is important to us. Currently,
Ukraine is also fighting for the freedom of Estonia.”
Olga Saladukha, a former athlete and now a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, provides assistance to young Ukrainian athletes through a foundation bearing her own name. Despite the devastating effects of the Russian invasion, Saladukha backed many athletics competitions, albeit in places far from the front lines. The latest initiative of Saladukha is a scholarship program that provides financial support to 32 promising young athletes from a variety of sports.
According to Saladukha, the help of the EOC is very welcome. “At least 95 sports facilities in Ukraine were destroyed and 350 were damaged. Thousands of athletes were forced to leave their cities, schools, and training facilities. In order to live and train in a new place, they often lack the most basic things. This is especially true for children and youth,” Olga Saladukha said.
The equipment was delivered to Ukraine by Ukrainian karateka and Olympic bronze medallist Stanislav Horuna. “Any donation makes me very happy. This will not help us win the war, but it will help our people,” Horuna said.
The equipment was received by Kyiv sports schools and Ivan Bobersky Lviv State University of Physical Culture, where many athletes from all over Ukraine reside and train.
“As for the help from Estonia and its population as a whole, in Ukraine everyone is still in a pleasant shock. They say that Estonia is a small country, but people with big hearts live there! Ukrainians now know very well who our friends and allies are. And after the victory, we will remember that we achieved independence with the help of Estonia. It is invaluable!" said Saladukha.