At the initiative of the Ukrainian Association of Football and the UAF Foundation, an international amputee football seminar was held, becoming not only an educational platform but also a symbol of the unity of a community that is redefining perceptions of opportunity and the role of adaptive sports.
From July 15–18, Lviv hosted a landmark event for Ukrainian adaptive sport — the first international amputee football seminar. More than 40 participants from across Ukraine had a unique opportunity to learn from leading specialists of the Turkey national amputee football team — the current world champions and two-time European champions.
The seminar became an important component of the “League of the Mighty” initiative — a social project of the Ukrainian Association of Football and the UAF Foundation, which in 2025 received the prestigious UEFA FootbALL Awards in the “National Association” category. This recognition once again highlights the international acknowledgment and high level of development of the project.
- Head Coach of the Turkey National Amputee Football Team Gazi Ismail Temiz
- Assistant Head Coach Omer Duran— Goalkeeper Coach Unsal Cancelik
- Strength and Conditioning Coach Coskun Peker
- Vice President of the Turkish Federation of Sports for the Disabled Ramazan Ozcelik
These experts, whose national team represents a model of systematic development, strong team philosophy, and a winning mentality, shared their knowledge and practical experience with Ukrainian participants.
The sessions were held at the Bosco Center in Lviv. During 21 hours of intensive training — including 12 hours of theoretical sessions and nine hours of practical work — participants immersed themselves in the nuances of the training process, practiced technical and tactical elements, and improved their physical preparation.
Bohdan Melnyk, Development Manager of the “League of the Mighty,” noted:
“This seminar marks a new chapter for amputee football in Ukraine. We are building a system: training specialists, uniting the community, and learning from the best. Most importantly, we are demonstrating that Ukrainian amputee football is not on the sidelines but at the forefront of the struggle for dignity, strength, and inspiration.”
For his part, Gazi Ismail Temiz emphasized:
“Ukrainian amputee football has great potential for the future because your players are warriors — very strong and hardworking. I would also like to add that I experienced wonderful and intense days here. Besides gaining many positive emotions, your players took me back 20 years to the time when I personally went through similar experiences.”
This seminar laid an important foundation for the further development of the “League of the Mighty,” bringing together representatives from all regional amputee football initiatives across the country.
The Ukrainian Association of Football also expresses its gratitude to the Lviv City Council for their partnership and support.
