To Guelph, Ont. soccer player who made headlines in February for enlisting in the Ukrainian army is back in Canada.
On Thursday, Guelph United FC announced Svyatik Artemenko had safely returned to Guelph and will rejoin the local team for their 2022 season.
He arrives “just in time,” for their opening match of the Canadian Championship on May 10, the club said.
In February, having signed to a professional soccer team in Western Ukraine, Artemenko arrived in the country just days before the Russian invasion.
When war broke out, Artemenko, who was born in Ukraine, enlisted in the army.
“Obviously, there’s that inner feeling that you know you might die and that this is not a normal thing to do,” he told CTV at the time. “But, you have to work with the situation that you have. My pride for my country is thousands ahead of fear.”
In a news release issued Thursday, Guelph United FC said Artemenko’s teammates and coaches are overjoyed to have him back in Guelph after his military tour.
“Svyatik is a talented, dedicated soccer player,” head coach Keith Mason said in the release. “But he is an even better human being. We couldn’t be more proud of him for standing up for the people and freedom of Ukraine, but we are also excited to see him safely back home.”