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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
3 October in Ternopil the seventh match within the social project "A Day with the Kings' Team" by Betking Foundation and its founder Pavlo Zhurilo took place. This time on one field 50 children and 11 professional footballers from the local FC Niva met.
The match format is traditional for the project but unusual for professional football: a team of 50 children plays against 11 professional footballers. Young players and professional athletes take the field together, score goals, celebrate successful moments, and play for shared emotions and the joy of football. For the children, it is an opportunity to step onto the same pitch with professional players and feel like part of a real football match. "I was really looking forward to this day, but I never imagined we would play with footballers like this, for real. What I'll remember most is the match and that afterwards we could talk with the players and get autographs. Now I want to train even more and someday play on a professional team too," shared 11-year-old Sviatoslav Romanchuk. In Ternopil 50 children played football against the players of FC Niva (photo: Betking Foundation) Football that helps restore childhood "A Day with the Kings' Team" was created specifically for children affected by the war. Among the participants are children of active servicemembers and fallen defenders, displaced children, and children from families who have felt the effects of Russian aggression. The idea of the project is to give children, through sport, communication, and positive emotions, the chance to leave everyday worries off the pitch for at least one day. Before the match, the children trained with professional footballers, and after the game they talked with them, took photos, got autographs, and received gifts. "War has taken many usual things away from Ukrainian children, but it has not taken away their right to dream. That is why it is important for us to create moments when a child steps onto the same field with professional footballers and sees: a big dream is not somewhere far away, it can be much closer than it seems," said Betking Foundation founder Pavlo Zhurilo. According to him, "for some this match will remain a vivid memory, and for others it will become motivation to train, believe in their own strength, and not give up on their dream." "It is for moments like these that we continue 'A Day with the Kings' Team,' involve new football clubs, and expand the project's geography. We want as many Ukrainian children as possible to have this experience," Zhurilo added. The organizers prepared unforgettable impressions and many pleasant surprises for the participants (photo: Betking Foundation) FC Niva also emphasizes that participation in the project allows the club to be closer to the children for whom football has already become part of life. "For our footballers this is also a special match. On the field you don't just see 50 children, you see 50 little footballers who sincerely love this game. Maybe for some of them today's meeting will be another push to continue training, to work on themselves and to dream of professional football. We are glad to be part of such a day and to see these emotions of the children in person," said the club's head coach Ivan Fedyk. This special meeting helped the young players to take their minds off things and fulfill their cherished dream (photo: Betking Foundation) From a single match to a nationwide project Ternopil became the next city on the map of "A Day with the Kings' Team." Over two years the project has brought together more than 330 children from different cities of Ukraine. Matches took place in Kyiv, Bucha, Rivne, Oleksandriia, Irpin, and Uzhhorod. Professional football clubs joined the initiative and for one day became, for the children, not athletes from screens and stands but opponents and partners on the football field. Betking Foundation plans to continue expanding the geography of "A Day with the Kings' Team" and to involve new football clubs so that children from different regions of Ukraine can take part in such matches. Young athletes demonstrated true team spirit (photo: Betking Foundation) Ukrainian project that received international recognition "A Day with the Kings' Team" reached the finals of the UN Global Compact competition "Partnership for Sustainable Development 2025." In 2026 the project also received two Davos Communications Awards: gold in the category "Best Sports or Entertainment Campaign" and silver in the category "Best Social Media Campaign." For Betking Foundation these honors became international recognition of a Ukrainian social initiative that supports children and creates a space for communication, new impressions, and dreams. The vivid moments of the confrontation will remain forever in the memory of all participants (photo: Betking Foundation)
About Betking Foundation The Betking Foundation, founded by Pavlo Zhurilo and part of King Group, turns social initiatives into real opportunities for children and youth. The foundation pays special attention to displaced children and those who lost relatives due to the war, helping them through sport, education, and psychological support. Betking Foundation invests resources into creating a healthy and safe environment for children, helps them develop team spirit, gain new knowledge, and restore emotional balance. The foundation's social mission is to create opportunities for the harmonized development and social adaptation of the younger generation.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item ""Мріяти по-королівськи": у Тернополі відбулася сьома гра в межах проєкту "День із командою Королів"". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: RBC-Ukraine.
