THE Glasgow Clan today/yesterday (Wed, Nov 30) invited two ice-hockey mad youngsters, who are refugees from war-torn Ukraine, to join their professional players in a practice session, at Braehead Arena.
Serhii Tymoshenko, aged 14 and nine-year-old Danylo Tetiana, are presently living in temporary refugee accommodation on the MS Ambition ship anchored at the King George V Docks, on the River Clyde.
The youngsters played ice hockey back in their Ukraine homeland before they had to escape the Russian invasion with their families.
They are staying on board the ship until more suitable longer-term accommodation can be found for them.
When the Clan heard that the two hockey kids missed playing their favourite sport of ice hockey, they immediately offered to kit them out for a training session with some of the best pro hockey players in the country.
Serhii, from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv started skating and learning to play ice hockey when he was only six years old and played for a team called the Snow Leopards. He said:
“I used to play hockey every week day and I really enjoyed it. Since I left Ukraine, I’ve missed being able to play hockey. And I’d really like to play for a team again.
“I didn’t think I’d get the chance to skate and play ice hockey when I came to Scotland, so I’d like to say thank you to the Glasgow Clan for giving me the chance to practise with them.”
Danylo, from the city of Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine, trained and played ice hockey several times a week with his team, called Kremenchuk 2. He said:
“I always want to play and take part in tournaments and I really like playing ice hockey.
“I was very excited about getting on the ice with the Clan players and I want to thank them for giving the chance to practise hockey again.”
Gareth Chalmers, managing director of Braehead Arena, which is home to the Elite Ice Hockey League outfit, revealed that the club had previously invited some of the Ukrainians from MS Ambition to Clan games. He said:
“We can appreciate how hard it must be for Serhii and Tetiana to have to leave their home, their wider family and friends because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Both the players and fans here at the Clan love ice hockey and I know the youngsters from Ukraine feel the same. It must be extra heartbreaking for them when they miss and can’t carry on taking part in their favourite sport.
“We decided to ask them along to the Arena, get kitted out and play some hockey with our pro players.
“We hope we’ve brought a smile to their faces and they enjoyed their time on the ice with the Clan.”
Andy Boyle, project manager for MS Ambition said: “We would like to extend a huge thanks to the Glasgow Clan and Braehead Arena for the unprecedented level of welcome and support to the Ukrainian guests on board MS Ambition.
“Seeing the genuine broad smiles and feeling them get behind their new local ice hockey team is invaluable to integration in the community.
“I have come along to several games myself and have seen the guests on board not just participating in, but starting chants of support for the team and it is so heart-warming to see.”