By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Zalgiris Kaunas presented special jerseys and shorts created to support Ukraine. Instead of green and white, the players of the Lithuanian powerhouse will suit up in Ukraine’s blue and yellow, in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 29 home game versus FC Barcelona, scheduled to be held Friday (11/03, 19:00 CET) in Zalgirio Arena.
Per the press release: “With the celebrations of Lithuania’s Independence Day nearing, Zalgiris invites fans to mark the 11th of March in Zalgirio Arena, as the green-and-whites take on FC Barcelona.
This time the Lithuanian champions and the team’s fans not only look to celebrate their own independence, but also express solidarity with the Ukrainians currently fighting for their freedom.
Fans are invited to bring Lithuanian and Ukrainian flags, which will be held up during the Lithuanian national anthem.
Having expressed their support throughout the past week, Zalgiris will show another sign of solidarity, losing the traditional green-and-white jerseys for a blue-and-yellow representation of Ukraine’s flag. The new jerseys were designs and created by TŪTA.
“Ukraine’s fight for freedom cannot become a norm, something that is naturally understandable. We can’t simply get used to it. That’s why we’ve decided to show solidarity with Ukrainians and send a message about their heroic stance against Russia’s aggression,” – said Zalgiris captain Paulius Jankunas.
There will be more Lithuanian accents in this game than usual, as a rather large delegation of FC Barcelona hails from Lithuania. Rokas Jokubaitis, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Darius Maskoliunas, Tomas Masiulis, Justas Grainys and Mindaugas Gudelis will all be heading home for this one, and they will be joined by former Zalgiris players Brandon Davies and Nigel Hayes.
The Zalgiris organization invites the fans to continue supporting Ukraine and its’ people in any ways possible. Some of the most active organizations coordinating support are https://www.blue-yellow.lt and https://stipruskartu.lt.
There are other ways to help as well, as people are invited to volunteer for the Lithuanian Red Cross and other organizations, take in war refugees in their homes, or help by donating clothes, food or medication.”
Photo Credit: BC Zalgiris Kaunas Twitter