The youth national team will leave for Estonia on Sunday, although Ukrainian family members are asking the young people to stay in Norway.
HOLMENKOLLEN, OSLO. Team leader of the Ukrainian Youth World Cup team Lada Nesterenko is in a tight spot.
The World Championships ended well over a week ago, but 13 young people and three other staff from the team stayed in Norway after the Games ended, as the war in Finland began during the race trip. One of the coaches has already returned to Ukraine and many young people have a strong desire to get back.
– Our plan was to return home immediately, but the war changed everything. I am in charge of the lives of young athletes, so I couldn’t let them come back. Most come from eastern Ukraine, close to the Russian border, including Kharkiv and Chernivtsi.
– Now some of the boys want to return, but their families call here and ask the children to stay here, Nesterenko says.
Accommodation for Ukrainians from Sjusjöen was arranged by the Development Manager of the Norwegian Cross-Country Ski Association Brit Baldishol.
– During the World Championships for young people, we saw that the war was starting and we decided to get them asylum. It didn’t feel good to send them out of Norway when we saw how the situation progressed. They then agreed to stay here, Baldishol says.
The relatives of the team members are mostly in bomb shelters underground and close contact has been maintained. Young people are starting to feel bad because in Norway they don’t know what they would or could do. The pressure to move closer to Ukraine has now increased.
– I would not have thought that neighboring Russia and Belarus would hit us with a knife. I hope for peace in the whole world and that those who can make a difference. Ukrainians now need support. We need to close our skies, Nesterenko says.
It is assured from Norway that young Ukrainians are welcome to return at any time, whether they return from Estonia or Ukraine.
– I understand they want to go closer to home, but I’m also scared. It’s not easy to go there now. I’m really worried about their fate, Baldishol says and becomes sensitive.