Bandy in Ukraine during a hard time

Ukrainian Bandy Federation had great plans for 2022. After the “silver” success in Irkutsk in 2020, men’s team was preparing for the Group A Championship in Syktyvkar, young players were going to the Y21 Championship in Jyväskylä and the women’s team already had tickets to Stockholm, where they were ready to debut at the World Championship.

“Dnipro” and “Kharkiv Panthers” teams after the Ukrainian Championship match in Budy, January 2022. Photo: Ukrainian Bandy Federation

As part of preparations for international competitions, the first round of Ukrainian Championship was held in Budy on big ice in January. The women’s team “Kharkiv Panthers” participated in the Championship together with men’s teams. Also on February 26, the drawing of the Ukrainian rink bandy cup was planned in Kharkiv.

Unfortunately, none of the Ukrainian international plans ever materialized. The Championship in Syktyvkar was canceled, the youth Championship in Jyväskylä was postponed to a later date, and the Women’s World Championship was postponed to March, and it then took place without the Ukrainian national team.

On February 24, the war came to Ukraine, and bandy was forced to take a back seat in our lives. Many young men and women left Ukraine in search of a safe place. The Kharkiv rink “Saltivskyi lid”, which hosted last year’s draw of the Ukrainian rink bandy cup, got hit by a rocket attack. Severodonetsk – the city of the first Ukrainian bandy championship and the home of the only Ukrainian bandy referee of the World Championships, Artem Zuyenko, has been under occupation since the summer.

From September, the training of Dnipro bandy team started at the “Ice Arena”, not only men, but also young boys and girls participate in the trainings. Dnipro is a rear city, and training here is relatively safe.

Everybody included in the bandy organization in Ukraine look forward to participation in any bandy competition in different parts of the world. When it will be possible again.