Prince Harry Shares Heartwarming Moment With Wounded Veterans During Pickleball Match in Ukraine
The Duke of Sussex joined wounded Ukrainian veterans for a game of pickleball during Invictus Games trials in Lviv, praising the athletes as “role models” on the second day of his surprise solo visit.
Prince Harry hailed Ukraine's wounded veterans as "role models" on the second day of his surprise visit to the war-torn country.
The Duke of Sussex watched pickleball players in the western city of Lviv compete in trials for the forthcoming Invictus Games in 2027 to be held in Birmingham. The athletes wore the black and yellow colours of the special event, which the Duke founded in 2014 to help wounded military service personnel and veterans. Inspired by his own experience within the British Army, he remarked that they have "so much to give to society".
Ukraine was holding heats to select players in disciplines including the new sport to compete at next year's highly anticipated games. This was Harry's fourth visit to the country amid the ongoing war with Russia, more than any other members of the British Royal Family.
The European country is set to field a team of 60 players in Birmingham, a record number as the war leads to ever-increasing numbers of ex-soldiers with amputated limbs and other disabilities. As the final winners were announced at a closing ceremony, the audience broke out into a spontaneous chant of "Garry, Garry" - the pronunciation of the Duke's name in Ukrainian.
After watching the pickleball players - some in wheelchairs, others with amputated arms and prosthetic legs - Harry told assembled journalists: "That room is full of role models for society." He also remarked that with some three million veterans present alone in Ukraine, "there's a huge amount of work to do." Adding: "Those three million individuals have so much to give to society. Through Invictus we're going to play the best role we can in that process."
Prince Harry called for support for Ukraine's military to extend to veterans, as he stated: "We've invested in them before they put the uniform on; we must invest in them once the uniform comes off." He also suggested that Ukrainians have "learned to live with war."
The Duke stated: "Every single person in Ukraine is playing their part in this war ... The rest of the world will continue to support you. In my mind you've already won; I hope the war is going to come to an end."
Wearing black jeans and a black padded hooded jacket with the Invictus Games logo and brown boots, Harry spent time talking to one pickleball player with both legs amputated below the knee who recently had two prosthetic legs fitted.
"You can see by the reaction how much sport and how much this community means to them, so I'm just really proud," the prince told reporters. "You can see it on their faces, you can see it in their confidence, you can see it in their joy."
"The key thing is to keep that going, not only for Invictus trials but all the way to the games and then beyond as well." Harry posed for selfies with players and then joined in a game himself, taking off his jacket to show a grey flannel overshirt.
He played against two men who each had an amputated leg, teaming up with a man with one arm amputated. The Duke managed to smash in some shots to heavy applause from attendees.
"I asked him to play, and he didn't refuse," said Oleksandr, a 49-year-old veteran from Odesa with an amputated leg. "It's good; he is an open person, he talks to people, he isn't like a royal personage. He loves ordinary people. He is completely different."
Prince Harry commented that due to the ongoing war, Invictus organisers haven't been able to run heats all around the country "because of security concerns." But he commended organisers for bringing "so many veterans and service personnel together," which he labelled as "absolutely amazing."
On his surprise solo trip to Ukraine, Prince Harry revisited Lviv's Superhumans clinic, which specialises in war injuries, as he also took time to meet veterans and serving soldiers who were in the process of getting prosthetic limbs.
Amongst several Veterans, Harry spoke to Kostiantyn Vlasenko, 49, who had to cut off his own feet after being injured and unable to reach help. Vlasenko became the first Ukrainian to be medically evacuated from the front line remotely this year, using a specialized drone.
Upon meeting the serviceman, Harry enthusiastically told the soldier: "You are a very, very impressive individual." In a humorous moment, the Duke was corrected as Vlasenko replied: "Stubborn."
"Stubbornness helps," Harry jokingly replied, adding: "I have a huge amount of admiration and respect for you."
