‘Physically we try our best, but mentally it’s very difficult’

Ukraine Players Put On Display Their Grit Before Opening Up On Challenges Of Ongoing War


Bhubaneswar: Ukraine’s Yeva Serdiuk and Sofiia Kurnikova played their hearts out on Saturday but went down to the US pair of Sara Hughes and Ally Batenhorst in the quarterfinals of the ongoing FIVB Beach Pro Tour Challenge at the Dutee Chand Athletics Stadium here on Saturday.
Considering both their partners couldn’t make it due to visa issues, it was indeed a remarkable performance from the Ukrainians. That, however, was a minor hiccup compared to what they have had to live through because of the war that's been raging back home for the last four years.
“It’s difficult, and maybe people don’t fully understand why. We just have to deal with it. While athletes in Europe and other places can focus on their preparation, we are still dealing with the situation back home,” said Serdiuk, who hails from Kyiv.
“The last four years of the war have been very hard for us. Our preparation hasn’t been what it should be, and that brings a lot of stress. Physically we try our best, but mentally it’s very difficult.”
Besides their training being affected, what makes things even harder is that being away from home for long periods keeps them worried about their families.
“We know what’s happening back home. Our relatives sometimes can’t sleep because they have to stay in shelters during missile and drone attacks,” added the 22-year-old.
The stress of the war has weighed so heavily on her mind that every time a firework went off nearby, she flinched at the sound.
It’s not the same for everyone though. There are two men’s teams from Ukraine and Dmytro Kozii, who played with Oleksii Bublyk, feels exhausted more than anything else.
“It’s really boring because the war has been going on for more than four years now. For us it’s very difficult. We don’t want to live with drones, attacks and rockets all the time. We have to go to the bunker anytime, even when we’re sleeping. There is always a lot of fear,” said Kozii, who was knocked out in the round of 16 on Saturday.
The ongoing crisis also makes their coach telling them constantly to go outside Ukraine for training as staying there isn’t good for the mind.
“Before this competition, we went to Portugal where we trained with Pedroso and Campos — one of the best teams in Portugal. Before that, we also trained in Cyprus with our coach Sergiy Popov,” added the youngster, who comes from Donetsk.
Besides the war, Ukraine has also been facing a harsh winter – the coldest in about 15 years – with temperatures in some regions dropping to less than –20°C during cold waves. But despite these challenges, they came here and showed what they are capable of. Even if success doesn’t arrive immediately, their determination could well take them to the top someday.
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