Ukrainian paddlers find support from neighbors

Ukrainian canoe athletes displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine have been offered accommodation and support by neighboring countries. According to the International Canoe Federation (ICF), numerous national federations have offered to host and support Ukrainian paddlers, including a large group that has amassed in Turkey after the outbreak of the conflict.

The group that fled to Turkey included over 120 athletes, with senior, junior, and paracanoe athletes represented. The ICF added the situation for those athletes was dire due to money transfers within Ukraine being frozen, indicating the athletes were cut off from funding and monetary support.

Many of the athletes in the Turkish-based group have been offered accommodation and full board by the Romanian Canoe Federation at their high performance center. Additionally, some of the athletes will travel to Bulgaria, whose national federation has also offered some assistance.

Multiple national federations have also offered places to junior athletes. Poland, Hungary, France, Germany and Estonia were indicated as doing such by the ICF.

The ICF added many of the paracanoe athletes, including those in wheelchairs, were still in need of accommodation and support. There hadn’t been a coordinated response for those athletes at the time of the last communication, but ICF President Thomas Konietzko said he was confident the international canoe community would rally together for those athletes.

Speaking on the entirety of the situation, Konietzko stated, “the generosity of our friends at the Romanian Canoe Federation and other federations throughout Europe is something we should all be very proud of.”

“Within hours of this crisis unfolding, offers began flooding in. It certainly brought some smiles to a group of athletes who are doing it very tough at the moment. They all have family and friends still in Ukraine, so every day is full of worry and distress for them.”

In an interview with the ICF last week, Ukrainian canoe slalom athlete Viktoriia Dobrotvorska, admitted, “sometimes it’s really hard to keep going for training.”

She had traveled from a training camp in Poland to help her family flee Ukraine before returning to Poland where she has been accommodated and allowed to train.

When asked what people could do to help Ukraine and Ukrainian athletes, Dobrotvorska responded, “I think all of the people just need to pray for our country,” adding, “we need only peace in our country, and to stop [the war.]”

Outside the support offered to individual athletes and those in contact with the ICF, the Ukrainian Canoe Federation (FCU) has also been working to assist athletes. The federation has continued to post updates on Facebook since the outset of the invasion. To date, they claim to have received offers of support from Italy, Hungary, Romania and Poland. Ukrainian athletes have also been taken in by Moldova and Estonia according to the national federation.

ICF President Thomas Konietzko has called for continued support for Ukrainian paddlers, stating, “I urge our canoeing family to continue to step up to support Ukraine. Unfortunately this crisis may not be over for a long time, so we need to provide as much help as we can.”