Ukrainian hoops player survives 'second escape' amid Noto earthquake

NANAO, Ishikawa Prefecture — Before he was evacuated to Japan, professional basketball player Ihor Boyarkin heard air raid sirens daily as he played in his homeland after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The 28-year-old Ukrainian describes his evacuation from last month's devastating earthquake on the Noto Peninsula as his “second escape” after he and his family fled to safety again.

Boyarkin, a member of the Kanazawa Samurais, which plays in the third tier of Japan's second-tier professional basketball league, said he had been thinking about what he could do for his team and the host community here.

When the quake struck on Jan. 1, the point guard was with his wife and their 3-year-old son in their apartment in Nanao, central Japan, facing the Sea of ​​Japan.

“The first tremor wasn't too bad, but the second one was on a scale I've never seen before,” Boyarkin said through a translator of the tremors, which measured 6 on Japan's 7-point intensity scale. Confused about whether we should flee our apartment or stay.

After tsunami warnings were issued and the tremors subsided, he and his family left to temporarily take shelter on a high site. They then returned to their home, which had become “a mess” due to the shock of the earthquake.

The next day, he and his family headed to the city of Hakusan, located in the south of the prefecture, to go to the home of the team's coach, Hidesuke Kurushima.

Hakusan, which is located near the capital of Kanazawa Prefecture, where the club is based, was largely spared damage from the quake.

Boyarkin and nine others, including his teammates, live together in Kurushima's house. His wife sometimes prepares Ukrainian dishes and the players take turns washing the dishes and doing other household chores.

Boyarkin, a former member of the Ukrainian national team, arrived in Japan in August 2022 as an evacuee and joined the Samuriz.

According to the team, the Japanese Basketball Association reached out to its Ukrainian counterpart for assistance in 2022 after many players lost their opportunities to play due to the Russian invasion.

When Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine in February 2022, Boyarkin was playing for a club in Ternopil in western Ukraine.

He remembers that there were days when air raid sirens blared all day.

“In terms of causing panic, earthquake emergency alerts are similar to air raid sirens, but I found the latter to be much more difficult mentally,” he said.

The earthquake occurred when he and his family were accustomed to life in Nanao, a city with a population of 48,000 people.

After hectic days dealing with the disaster, all his club players returned to training on January 22, and to league play in February.

On February 3, the first day of their return to the league, the Samoris played against Gifu Swoopes in Gifu, central Japan.

Although it was a road game for the Samurais, the Swoops treated it as a home game for their opponents as well in a show of support for the team that struggled during the New Year's Day debacle.

The Samouries played in their home jerseys and with other arrangements normally made for their home games, including cheering and a large club flag display.

The Samouries lost in a close game 88-87, but the players said they were moved by the enthusiastic cheers of their fans.

“I was on the verge of tears, and I received huge applause and cheers during the match,” said Kakeru Kanakubo, captain of the Samoris.

Another captain, Shodai Tanaka, said it was a good match despite the loss.

He said: “The result is important, but the players came together as one team to fight until the end, and they never gave up.”

The match turned out to be a treat for their fans striving to lift themselves out of the difficulties caused by the disaster, and to remind them of the excitement of a live match.

The fans traveled about five hours by bus from their evacuation centers to Gifu to cheer on the samores.

Tetsuo Ohashi, a fan from Nanao, said he was energized by what a basketball game had to offer — the sounds of the ball dribbling, the squeak of shoes on the court, the noise of opposing players colliding with each other.

“It was fun,” he said. “I felt energized.”

The Samoris are currently unable to train at their usual training base, Tatsuruhama Gym, in Nanao, as the facility has been converted into a temporary evacuation

But club staff members and players go there, helping out at the soup kitchen and leading the exercises that evacuees are encouraged to do for their health.

Kanakubo said it was their turn to give back to the residents for their continued support of the club.

Boyarkin keeps asking himself what he can do for the people in his host community.

He said: “We alone cannot change the lives of people who were displaced after their homes were destroyed.” “But maybe we can play a role in cheering them on by winning our matches. In Nanao, I will help them directly.”

Boyarkin expressed his hope that progress would be made in efforts aimed at returning everyone to normal life wherever they are.

“We went through a difficult time with the war and the earthquake,” he said. “The war is still going on, and I pray to God that things will improve soon.”

(This article was written by Kogo Shioya and Shuhei Nomura.)

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos