The Invictus Games a multi-sport competition for wounded servicemen and veterans, has been launched in the Hague, the Netherlands.
Despite all the hesitations and security challenges, the Ukrainian national team came to the competition and has already attracted the attention of members of other teams, journalists and ordinary residents of the city. The admiration of our athletes was caused by the fact that most of the team members came here directly from the front and immediately after the competition will return to their comrades to continue fighting the enemy.
Ukrainian veteran athletes did not have any opportunity to train on the eve of the Games, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dispelled our guys' doubts about sports results in his address to the team: "It doesn't matter how many medals you win, because all of you are our gold!"
The head of the official delegation, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Inna Draganchuk emphasizes that this year's Invictus Games for our team are not about sports. The slogan of the national team is:
All Ukraine - Invictus! We want to tell the truth about this, which consists of many big and small, very personal, stories of the fierce struggle for Ukraine, its peaceful life, on this platform.
"Everyone understands that for the team to come to the next Games, we must win over the enemy, Ukraine must survive!", the Deputy Minister stressed.
The Invictus Games began with a standing ovation for the Ukrainian team. The words of support for Ukraine came from the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte.
“Not just congratulations, but honor! Your courage in deciding to come at this trying times cannot be underestimated… You know that we are with you, the whole world is with you, and you deserve even more,†said Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at the opening ceremony without hiding his admiring of the moment.
"Glory to Ukraine!", said the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle in Ukrainian.
Both at celebrations and at sports competitions, there are two portraits with our team - their close friend and coach Dmitry Sidoruk, who died a few days before the trip to the Hague, and insidiously kidnapped by ussians and illegally detained volunteer Julia Payevskaya - the legendary Tyra, whose immediate release Ukraine demands.
