Amid 'Scary Dream', Ukraine's Basketball Team Plays in Spain
Ukraine's public ball group needed to play a World Cup qualifier in Spain subsequent to awakening to the insight about their nation being attacked and scrambling to see whether their family members were protected back home.
MADRID (AP) - After awakening at 5 a.m. to the insight about their nation being attacked and scrambling to see whether their family members were protected back home, Ukraine's public ball group needed to track down the solidarity to play a World Cup qualifier in Spain on Thursday.
The game happened as booked notwithstanding the solicitations by a portion of the Ukrainian players to delay it, and the intellectually depleted Ukrainian group lost 88-74.
"Today (was) an intense game for us," Ukraine chief Artem Pustovyi said. "It's truly difficult to play in the present circumstance, with what we have now in our home. We attempted to give our all. No one was pondering the game. Everyone was contemplating our families, our spouses and children who are there. It's an insane day for us."
Pustovyi said it was a "unnerving dream" to awaken to the fresh insight about the thing was occurring back home.
"From five AM we don't rest since we got a great deal of messages, we read a ton of information," he said. "It's not possible for anyone to trust that this occurrence in our country. Yet, we are truly pitiful in light of the fact that it's anything but a (swearword) dream. This is reality. How might you set yourself up for the game? Our families remained in Ukraine."
Pustovyi additionally irately scolded Russian President Vladimir Putin in interjection loaded remarks, referring to his activities as "insane."
He advised other European countries to stay together since, supposing that Putin "is doing this (interjection) presently in Ukraine, he won't ever stop, he will go to different nations."
Ukraine mentor Ainars Bagatskis, who is from Latvia, said it was "not so natural to discuss b-ball ... in this insane circumstance."
"There was no psychological arrangement from the group," he said. "From 5 a.m. in the first part of the day everyone was conscious. I'm glad for the players."
The Spanish fans - and the host group - noisily cheered the Ukrainian players when the game and Bagatskis said thanks to the group in the southern city of Córdoba for their help.
"For minutes, I think the group was to a greater degree toward our side," he said.
Regardless of calls to defer the game, Bagatskis said playing was perhaps "the best thing" they might have done in the present circumstance.
"For the occasion, (it's the) main thing we can accomplish for the country. No more, no less," he said.
The return game against Spain in Kyiv that had been planned during the current end of the week was deferred.
Bagatskis declined to unveil where the group would remain before very long, saying: "I would rather not tell."
