Two Injured Ukrainian Soldiers Running London Marathon For Their War-Torn Homeland—-Two injured Ukrainian marines are taking on the TCS London Marathon for their war-torn homeland — and will return to active duty afterwards.
Heorhii ‘Gosha’ Roshka and Oleksii Rudenko have refused to be sidelined after losing limbs in the fight against Russian military aggression since 2014.
The 42km run in London will be the servicemen’s first marathon, with Mr Rudenko telling the PA news agency: “We are very eager to start. We’re ready and we’re not afraid.”
“I want as many people as possible to see that Ukrainians can beat the marathon even without limbs and that we are unbreakable and unstoppable,” he added.
Mr Roshka joined the Ukrainian army in 2017 after Russia occupied Crimea.
In May 2022, he took up a combat position in the Azovstal steel plant, the heart of a pocket of resistance in the then-besieged city of Mariupol, which is now under Russian occupation.
After being hit by a mine, he retreated to a bunker in the steel plant where his arm was amputated.
Less than two weeks later he was forced to surrender and was taken captive along with his comrades.
Mr Roshka said he is “still very emotional” about the atmosphere inside the steel plant.
“People were in a very bad situation so we were just waiting there for the final moment of our life because no-one thought there was going to be survival,” he said.
“Some people decided it was going to be maybe easier to shoot themselves because it was a desperate situation.”
Mr Roshka was held captive with his fellow Ukrainian soldiers in a hospital in Donetsk for a month-and-a-half before he was eventually freed as part of a prisoner swap.
He said: “I lost a lot of blood so I didn’t really care at the moment we were taken captive. I felt really, really bad and I didn’t really care what happened next.
“During captivity itself, it was really hard. We were humiliated both physically and mentally. We were hit and verbally abused.
“When the arm was amputated in Azovstal the conditions were really bad and I couldn’t properly treat it there and in captivity I didn’t get good healthcare so the arm started to rot.”
Mr Roshka was initially suspicious when placed on a bus driving to Ukraine but when he realised he was being freed, he felt “happiness”.
“We started to have faith and then once we saw the Ukrainian flag, almost everyone started crying and we were really happy,” he said.
Mr Roshka went through “a hard path of recovery, prosthetics, and rehabilitation” in Ukraine before returning to military service.
On running the London Marathon, he said: “This is not only a test of my character, but also an opportunity for me to support my fellow brothers who were seriously wounded.”
Mr Rudenko, who had to leave the interview early after air raid sirens rang out in Odesa, joined the Ukrainian army in 2020 and held a position in Donetsk for six months before stepping on a mine during a combat mission and losing his leg.
“We were walking through a forest and we de-mined three mines but the fourth mine was hidden under the ground. It wasn’t visible so I stood on it,” he told PA.
“Then after the explosion I saw that my leg was gone so I quickly applied a tourniquet and we decided to fall back.”
Mr Rudenko, now an army instructor, continued: “I was taken to Kyiv first and underwent nine operations and when I spoke to the doctor I asked them if I could run after the amputation.
“The doctor said that in order to run, I would need a sports prosthetic so to do that they needed to cut the upper leg so this is why I had another operation to cut the leg even more.”
After undergoing nine operations, it took Mr Rudenko five months to fully adapt to his prosthetic leg.
He said: “The first couple of weeks you have to walk 12 minutes a day on prosthetics but I didn’t care and I walked two or three hours. You really need to move. If you move a lot, it’s easier to adapt.”
The servicemen are raising money for two injured Ukrainian soldiers through the Citizen Charity Foundation.
Mr Rudenko concluded: “I am running 2024 London Marathon to support as many seriously injured fellow brothers with amputations as possible.
“My goal is to spread awareness and raise funds for seriously injured Ukrainian servicemen who have lost limbs.”
Coventry City finally ended their 25-year wait for a Premier League victory after Jay Dasilva’s second-half strike secured a memorable 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The victory marked Coventry’s first three points in the Premier League since April 2001, when they defeated Sunderland before suffering relegation at the end of that season. Their return to the top flight had begun with four consecutive defeats without scoring, making Saturday’s breakthrough particularly significant.
Frank Lampard’s side entered the encounter under pressure after a difficult start to life back in the Premier League. The newly promoted Sky Blues had lost to some of the division’s strongest sides, including Arsenal and Manchester City, before suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat against Brighton in their previous outing.
However, Coventry produced a disciplined performance against Forest and grew into the contest as the match progressed.
After a goalless first half, the breakthrough arrived in the 55th minute.
Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth launched a long delivery forward, which Dasilva controlled brilliantly before cutting inside and bending a composed finish beyond Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The goal ended Coventry’s wait for their first Premier League goal of the season and gave Lampard’s men something to protect for the remainder of the contest.
Forest pushed for an equaliser and came close when Igor Jesus produced an effort that was cleared off the line by Coventry defender Bobby Thomas.
The hosts eventually thought they had rescued a point in the 86th minute when Jesus found the net. However, the goal was reviewed by VAR after referee Jarred Gillett was sent to the pitchside monitor.
Gillett subsequently ruled that Jesus had fouled Coventry midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi in the build-up, cancelling the equaliser and allowing Coventry to retain their lead.
The decision sparked frustration among the home supporters, but Coventry held firm through the closing stages to secure a landmark victory.
The result brings an end to a remarkable wait for Coventry supporters. The club’s previous Premier League victory came more than 25 years ago, and the Sky Blues subsequently endured a turbulent period that included a spell in the fourth tier of English football.
For Lampard, the victory provides a major boost after four successive defeats at the beginning of Coventry’s top-flight campaign.
“It feels great, it feels amazing,” Lampard said after the match, praising his players for their work and resilience.
The victory also gave Coventry their first points and first goal of the Premier League season, lifting them from the bottom of the table.
Dasilva’s decisive strike will now be remembered as the goal that ended Coventry’s long wait for a Premier League victory and gave the club renewed belief as they continue their battle to establish themselves among England’s top-flight sides.
Nigeria’s Falconets will face Colombia on Sunday in a crucial quarter-final clash at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
The encounter is scheduled for 3:00pm local time in Poland, 2:00pm Nigerian time, at the Stadion Miejski ŁKS in Łódź, according to FIFA’s official tournament schedule.
Nigeria reached the last eight after producing one of their strongest performances of the tournament, defeating England 3-0 in the Round of 16. Tosin Rafiu opened the scoring in the eighth minute before Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei doubled the advantage shortly after half-time. Mary Mamudu then completed the victory in the 73rd minute.
The result represented a major turnaround for the Falconets, who had endured a difficult start to the competition. Moses Aduku’s side lost 2-0 to Spain in their opening Group F fixture before drawing 0-0 with China.
Nigeria responded emphatically in their final group match, destroying New Caledonia 10-1 to secure second place in the group and progress to the knockout stage.
Colombia Stand in Nigeria’s Way
Colombia booked their quarter-final ticket by eliminating tournament hosts Poland with a 1-0 victory in the Round of 16.
The decisive moment came late in the match when a Polish own goal handed Colombia victory and sent them into the last eight. FIFA described Colombia as a resilient side capable of surviving pressure, making Sunday’s encounter a demanding test for Nigeria.
The match will be the first meeting between Nigeria and Colombia at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, although the two nations have crossed paths at youth level before.
Falconets Chase Historic Return
Nigeria are two-time runners-up at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, having reached the final in 2010 and 2014. Their last appearance in the semi-finals came in 2014, meaning victory over Colombia would take the Falconets back into the last four for the first time in 12 years.
The Falconets have also established themselves as one of the tournament’s most experienced teams, having featured at every edition since the competition began in 2002.
Coach Moses Aduku has urged his players to remain focused despite their impressive victory over England, stressing that the team must quickly move on from the Round of 16 triumph and concentrate on the next challenge.
A Place in the Semi-Finals Awaits
The winner of Nigeria and Colombia will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the quarter-final between DPR Korea and Canada on September 23.
For the Falconets, the objective is clear: continue the momentum from their emphatic win over England, overcome Colombia and move one step closer to a first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.
With the tournament now entering its decisive stage, Nigeria will hope their recent resurgence can carry them beyond the quarter-finals and back among the world’s final four.
Trending News4 years ago
News4 years ago
News4 years ago
News4 years ago
Politics3 years ago
Politics4 years ago
News4 years ago
Health & Wellbeing2 years ago
