Oleksandr Proskurov: “The Game Lasts 60 Minutes — You Have to Work for Yourself and for Your Teammate”

HC Kharkiv played its opening matches of the new Ukrainian Super League season against HC Karpaty. Following the first games, Oleksandr Proskurov, head coach of the Kharkiv team, spoke about the main challenges his players faced, the lessons learned from the matches, and shared a message for the club’s young players.

— What was the biggest challenge for the team today?

— Of course, playing our first game in the Super League was a serious challenge for the players. We were not quite ready for everything. But that’s okay — we will keep working and developing.

— Which decision during the match proved to be the most important?

— I can’t say that there was one particular decision that was the most important. There were many decisions to make, but for various reasons, we were unable to fully execute our game plan. This was our first game. There is more to come.

— What do you want the players to remember after this game?

— A game lasts 60 minutes. Whether you feel you can keep going or not, you have to work. You have to work for yourself and for your teammate. That is the most important thing. We were a little short on energy, but this is a valuable learning experience, especially for our younger players.

— What would you like to say to the young players of HC Kharkiv Junior?

— Watch handball and keep training. The doors of HC Kharkiv are open to you. We are waiting for you at HC Kharkiv!