Curling and studying so far away from home

Ukraine’s men’s curing team is preparing the Torino 2025 FISU World University Games Winter in exile, in Perth, Scotland. Join Artem Suhak, Eduard Nikolov, Vlad Koval, Artem Hasynets and Yaroslav Schschur as they train under the caring supervision of Scottish coach David Ramsay.

For the very first time, a curling team from Ukraine will take part to FISU World University Games Winter. Of course, the geopolitical situation has complicated these student-athlete’s training as much as it has impacted their lives in general.

In this first Eurosport x FISU Athlete Profile, we follow Artem Suhak, Eduard Nikolov, Vlad Koval, Artem Hasynets and Yaroslav Schschur in their daily life in exile in Perth, Scotland, a town that is also the home of World Curling.

The team has been living there for almost two years now, practicing four times a week, studying physical education or sports management online at the National University of Sport in Ukraine and also working part time.

“I admire what they are doing, says their caring Scottish coach, David Ramsay. These young people are both studying and working and living in sponsored homes in Scotland, earning money with part time jobs and at the same time I am pushing them to practice curling. I recognise that they have to have a balance and be happy.”

“We have had to leave our country to keep training, explains Vlad Koval. I must say that I have never heard anything negative about Ukrainians here in Scotland. It’s a very welcoming country and the people are really nice. We are gaining experience to get to a higher level every day. I just want to make our people happy, to make them proud of us.”

Skip Eduard Nikolov speaks a little more about the situation. “At first it was hard, leaving our families. They are still in Ukraine, where it is dangerous sometimes. So many sports facilities have been destroyed and you never know what will happen tomorrow. I guess we just have to keep on living and keep trying our best on the curling rink.”

The daily messages and exchanges with their loved ones back home are a great boost to their morale, but what really drives them at the moment is their participation to the Torino 2025 FISU World University Games from 13-23 January 2025. “In Torino, we will be able to meet a lot of international athletes, not only curlers. It will be a great opportunity to show ourselves to the world”, smiles Eduard Nikolov.

You will find this first Eurosport x FISU Athlete Portrait . This is also where you will be able to follow all the action from the  from 13 till 23 January 2025. So make sure to download the app or bookmark the website to follow your favourite student-athletes and get a huge breath of fresh air straight from the Piemonte mountains.

Written by Thérèse Courvoisier