Nike
was joined by Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko yesterday to
officially open a renovated football pitch, sports ground and gym at the school
in Kiev where he honed his football skills and received his education.
The
sports facilities were renovated to provide students at the school and kids in
the local community with a high-quality facility to play football and other
sports and have a dedicated gym for indoor sport and physical education.
“Nike
understands the power of sport to make a positive difference in young people’s
lives,” said Nike Central and Eastern Europe Marketing Director Steve Tsoi.
“Nike’s renovation of the football pitch and gym, combined with Andriy’s
commitment to upgrading the school building will provide the school and local
community with a great place for sport and learning.”
Shevchenko
was joined by 30 young Ukrainian footballers who made it to the local finals of
The Chance, Nike’s search for football talent around the world, at the
inauguration of the new football pitch. “Football has made such a positive
impact on my life and I wanted to be involved in this project with Nike to give
the next generation of footballers a safe place to play with the best facilities,”
Shevchenko said. “I’m also proud to be involved in a project that is giving
back to the community where I grew up.”
Andriy
Shevchenko attended the school and lived in the local community. He was
discovered as a young football talent at age nine while playing for the
district team in a city tournament.
The
Head of Kiev City State Administration Oleksandr Popov was joined by, US
Ambassador Tefft, the Head of Obolon District State Administration Vasiliy
Antonov and the school Principal Natalia Vakhnuk in support of the new sport
facilities.
“The
City of Kiev is proud to have this beautifully renovated football pitch in its
school district. The City is committed to supporting collaborations that
contribute to physical education, sport and the creation of positive community
engagement,” said Mr Popov.
Kiev
City is committed to support collaborations of non-profit and commercial
organizations to contribute to physical education, sport, and world class
athletes development
The
restored sporting facilities are the first phase of renovations at the local
school. Shevchenko’s Foundation has committed to upgrading the school’s
building to provide a better educational and learning environment for the
students.
Nike
would like to recognize the efforts of the Advisory Board who provided valuable
input and guidance on this project: Delta Sport (Nike’s Ukrainian Distributor),
Andriy Shevchenko Foundation, Sergey Bubka, Obolon District State
Administration, the Ministry of Education, Science, Youth and Sports of Ukraine
and School 216.
