Margaryta Logvinova, who was forced to flee Ukraine for the UK following the Russian invasion, says organising a fundraising event at The Padel Hub in Slough was ‘an inner calling.’
Since coming to London, 30-year-old Margaryta, a former badminton professional and ex-Ukrainian No.3 squash player, has dedicated her time to many charity initiatives to support Ukrainians both in the UK and her homeland.
She says padel has been “not only a means of physical engagement but also as a source of mental resilience to navigate the storm of emotions” since the war in Ukraine has impacted on her life.
She is now throwing her efforts into fundraising with a charity padel tournament for British Ukrainian Aid which she hopes will raise at least £5,000 to fund vital medical equipment.
The tournament at The Padel Hub on November 11, will feature mixed, men’s and women’s categories of 12 teams each. It will also include an exhibition match featuring five of the UK top men’s players before the prize ceremony and ‘after party’.
Margaryta has secured the support of former Chelsea and Ukraine striker-turned-politician Andrey Shevchenko (pictured below) and the men’s world No 1 padel professional Ale Galan, who have both provided autographed items.
There is also an auction and raffle with the opportunity to win padel equipment and free padel coaching. The day, which is also supported by the Padel Federation of Ukraine, will also have a very strong Ukrainian theme.
Margaryta said: “I felt a deep-seated desire to contribute to Ukraine by showcasing my character’s strengths and applying my skillset. This inner calling led me to the decision to organise a tournament.
“I have made an effort to come up with as many interesting elements as possible for organising this tournament to maximise the fun, excitement and joy, while also engaging and encouraging people to donate.
“We are striving to raise funds to send a dialysis machine and a water purification to Kyiv which have been requested by a military hospital. There are many other items required such as stretchers, a defibrillator, an ICU ventilator, an ECG machine, a medical aspirator, a blood pressure monitoring device among many items.”
The tournament is also being backed by Adidas, DropShot, Padel Corner and The Padel Hub.
Margaryta has previously raised £5,500 for the charity and actively supported the “Ukrainian Books for Ukrainian Children” project, a government-led charitable initiative aimed at providing children abroad with Ukrainian literature. She has also assisted in supplying food and medication to healthcare institutions in Ukraine and to the National Guard of Ukraine.
Margaryta added: “I extend my gratitude to the Padel Federation of Ukraine for their assistance in finding the location of a club in London and enabling me to continue my involvement in the sport. They have also been instrumental in involving me in various other projects, tournaments, exhibitions, courses and padel events, further enhancing my passion for the sport.”
For more details and to register go to @padel_for_ukraine on Instagram
