Finding the ball to leave behind, or at least try, fears and horrors. Even Italian handball has extended its hand to Ukraine: there are many, day after day, from north to south, the stories of welcome and help from the clubs and the Federation to help athletes, coaches and referees in looking for a place to find a glimmer of normality.
Mykyta, Oleg and Kateryna, three 16-year-old athletes welcomed into the CX Chieti Student Place, the structure that hosts the students of the Italian Campus every day, made their arrival in “La Casa della Pallamano” in Chieti on Sunday. With them also Anastasia Zemliana, a 28-year-old coach. Coming from Vyšhorod, about 20 kilometers north of the capital Kiev, three years ago they had all participated in the Interamnia World Cup in Teramo.
Volodymyr Filonenko is a 31-year-old referee. From Kryvyj Rih, a city located in the south-east of the country, he arrived in Leno, in the Brescia area, about two weeks ago on a journey of 2,300 kilometers passing through Warsaw, Poland. In Italy he was able to embrace Valeriia Kyryllova, his wife and athlete whom the handball public has learned about scoring in the last two seasons with the Handball Leno shirt, in Serie A Beretta. “I did not want to leave my country in such a difficult moment – he says – and in the last two weeks I had activated myself as a volunteer, helping to equip the checkpoints and in general trying to be useful. My wife’s mother is currently in the occupied territories: her life is in danger every day. Additionally, her sister and her niece spent three days hiding in the basement in a relentlessly bombed city. With difficulty we managed to get them out of there: now they are in Italy and, above all, they are safe. My wife was very troubled by this situation and I decided to join her. For this I thank Antonio Bravi, the president of Handball Leno, who agreed to host me and let me stay here ”.
The FIGH immediately worked to integrate Volodymyr into the referees and bring him back to the field as soon as possible. His last direct match dates back to February 19th in the Ukrainian Superleague, five days before the Russian invasion. The debut date in Italy is already set for next April 9th. “We have taken steps to ensure that all the bureaucratic procedures with the Ukrainian Federation are successful – explains the president of the refereeing sector, Mauro Mondin – and immediately giving our availability”. First level referee and candidate to enter the EHF lists, Volodymyr Filonenko will therefore be able to direct the matches of the national championships, including Serie A Beretta. “Yes, we have acquired his refereeing path in Ukraine. Regardless of this, we are naturally very happy, as an industry, to be able to open the doors to those who need it right now ”. Once all the medical certifications have been obtained, a new ‘whistle’ will be engaged on the handball fields of our home. Volodymyr is enthusiastic: “I am very happy that I was given this opportunity. Refereing and experiencing handball for me means emotion. Thanks to the Italian Federation, to all the people who helped me make this possible. I will do my best to live up to being part of the Italian handball family ”.
In Leno, where the Brescia-based company carries out the Handball Academy project and has a guesthouse, the welcome has also been extended to other Ukrainian athletes – Olena Kovtun, Daryna Surhan and Iryna Nadtochii – who are making their arrival in these days. Lombardy. “For this I would like to thank Antonio Bravi from my heart – concludes Filonenko – for the great help he has given not only to me, but also to all the people from Ukraine who are finding shelter in Leno”.
The stories of closeness and friendship these days are however many and deserve to be told, in a world, that of handball, which is proving to have no borders and barriers.