Pallade Veneta - Paralympic sport offers Ukraine's veterans 'new life', says goalball player

Sydorenko said there were some veterans in the 140-member squad in Paris -- in the sitting volleyball team -- and others took part in the amputees' football European Championship in France earlier this year.

However, 24-year-old Sydorenko, who has been blind from birth due to a congenital illness, said more should contemplate taking up sport as it offers a career and a diversion from daily life.

Ukraine has long been a Paralympic powerhouse and tragically the number of disabled people in the country has grown ever larger since Russia invaded in February 2022.

"I think it's a great opportunity for everyone, especially veterans who can continue with something different after being wounded," said Sydorenko, speaking after Ukraine opened their campaign with a 6-3 defeat of Egypt at the Porte de Versailles.

"They can continue with a sport career, start a new life and fight for Ukraine in these stadiums, in every competition, not only Paralympic Games.

"It can be a tournament around the world, it can be a tournament inside Ukraine.

"That can be important for the country, for the family, for themselves.

"They need to show that they can do it. They have the power to do so."

- 'Best of the best' -

Sydorenko said that for disabled people in general in Ukraine, seeing him and the other Ukrainian team members perform at the top level would empower them.

"I think every disabled person can feel this power, this spirit of competing," he said.

"It's good. I think everyone can feel this spirit and feel the power of athletes and their desire to fight for themselves."

Sydorenko found this out for himself when he was 10 and living in the Crimea -- before it was annexed by Russia -- he took up goalball, one of the two non-Olympic sports in the Paralympics.

Created in 1946 for blind World War II veterans, the team numbers six with three players on court at one time. The players, who all wear opaque shades, stay on their hands and knees to defend their goal which is nine metres (29 feet) wide.

The object of the game is to throw a ball past the opponents and into their net to score points.

It became a Paralympic sport for men in 1976 in Toronto and for women eight years later in New York.

Ukraine are yet to win a medal in the event since they gained independence from the former Soviet Union but Sydorenko is confident that can change in Paris.

"I think it's a good start because we have strong competitors," said Sydorenko, who was first capped in 2017.

"Every team that takes part in this competition is one of the best teams in the world.

"In the previous Paralympic Games, 10 teams took part.

"Now it's eight teams. It's the best of the best.

"Ukraine is definitely one of the European teams that has the opportunity to win."

A.Fallone--PV