Ukraine begins football season in spite of war

(ANSA-AFP) - KYIV, AUG 23 - Ukraine on Tuesday launched its new football season despite Russia's ongoing invasion, in an apparent attempt to give a morale boost to the war-ravaged nation. In the first match of the Ukrainian Premier League, Shakhtar Donetsk drew 0-0 with Metalist 1925 from Kharkiv at the Olympiysky stadium in Kyiv. In an emotional pre-match ceremony, the players of both teams and the referees entered the pitch wrapped in Ukrainian flags and unfurled a banner that read "We are of the same courage." The Shakhtar players wore T-shirts with the inscription "Donetsk. Ukraine will win" over their playing jerseys, while the players of the Kharkiv club wore similar T-shirts with the inscription "Kharkiv. Ukraine will win." In addition, Metalist 1925 played the match wearing T-shirts with the emblem of the Ukraine's Armed Forces instead of the traditional sponsor logo. After a minute of silence in memory of the Ukrainians who died as a result of the Russian invasion, the first symbolic kick of the ball was made by a Ukrainian soldier. (ANSA-AFP).