In the gym of the Velyka Oleksandrivka Youth Sports School the sounds of training are heard, and each time the short: “One, two!” rings out.
Here young sambists learn to fall and practice back throws. Some laugh after an unsuccessful technique, others concentrate as they grip the opponent’s uniform sleeves.
There is no silence in this hall — only constant movement, children’s excitement and the feeling that life in the community is gradually returning to its place.
A sambo section was recently opened in Velyka Oleksandrivka, and now several dozen children gather in the gym — to train, compete, and at least for a few hours forget about the horrors of war.
On the tatami — children of different ages. Alongside the younger ones, teenagers train, both boys and girls.
For some it’s the first sport in their life, for others — an opportunity to return to training after the start of the war and relocations.
The director of the Velyka Oleksandrivka Youth Sports School, Viktor Buzhak, recalls that the section only started operating in January this year, but many were eager to train.
“We had freestyle wrestling and the coach was mobilized. The head of the Kherson region sambo federation, Ivan Lytvynenko, came to Velyka Oleksandrivka, and the village head said that we could create the conditions for sambo training. And Valeriy Ivanovych, who worked at the Snihurivka children and youth sports school, moved here and began working,” — recounts the head of the Youth Sports School.
During practices coach Valeriy barely stops — demonstrates movements, immediately corrects mistakes and again and again drills the same element with the children.
“The right foot goes to the right. The left — to the left. One, two. At the entry we kneel and throw over the back,” — he commands.
The coach himself says that after the start of the full-scale war, sport in the Kherson region has effectively stopped.
“There is no sport at all in Kherson right now. And so that it doesn’t stop, but continues, friends brought me here,” — says Valeriy.
He moved to Velyka Oleksandrivka from Snihurivka in the Mykolaiv region. He says that even before the war, together with colleagues he coached children from different cities in the region. They even held sessions in Oleshky and Hola Prystan, which are now under Russian occupation and practically destroyed.
The coach shares that under wartime conditions maintaining sports discipline is quite difficult, since workouts are often interrupted by air raid alarms.
According to Valeriy, over several months of work the children spent almost half their time in a shelter.
“We have been training for two and a half, almost three months. Of that time we sat in the bomb shelter for one and a half months, because during alarms we are prohibited from training. This, of course, is for the safety of the children,” — he says.
Despite this, the section has already managed to go to its first competitions.
“We fought, we all arrived safe and sound. No injuries, no fractures, no bruises. That was the most important thing. And now we’ll learn, we’ll add technique, we’ll work for results. We would like to get back on our feet as soon as possible and start taking part in the Ukrainian sambo championships. So that we have our first achievements, first medals,” — says the coach.
The young sambists themselves are sincerely proud of and share their first results. Yana and Alina said that they’ve already even gotten used to falling on the tatami.
“The main thing is to learn how to break a fall,” — says one of the sambists.
The girls also recalled their first tournament, where they managed to win awards.
“We had one match. I took second place”, – smiles one of the girls. The other immediately adds: “I took first!”.
Young fighters Maksym and Danylo also shared impressions from their first bouts.
“I took third place, but I lost three matches. I will continue to train further, because I like this sport,” — Maksym said.
At the end of training the children linger for a long time. Some continue to practice throws, others discuss their matches at the competitions.
For many of them sambo has become something more than sport — a place where movement, excitement and the sense of normal life return.
