Alexander Zolotukhin, who recently took charge of the women's national handball team of Ukraine, spoke to the press service of AFU about his first steps in the new position and the tasks facing the team.

— Mr. Alexander, we congratulate you on your new challenge in your coaching career. How do you feel now, before starting work with the team?

— Yes, this is indeed a step forward for me. After a period at "Tesla," I had an international experience with our girls in Portugal. And now Sergey Vladiko offered me to lead the national team. We will work.

— Is there a plan for preparing the team for the near future?

— Yes, thanks to the international break during the 2025 Women's World Championship, we have an opportunity to gather all the girls from abroad and Ukraine. On November 21, we plan to start a training camp in Uzhhorod, and on December 6 and 7, we will hold two friendly matches with Norway. For me, this is my first gathering, so I am calling up the maximum number of players so that we can get acquainted and establish communication. This will be primarily an introduction for me to the team.

— These weekends saw the start of league matches in women's handball for the 2025/2026 season. Did you manage to watch some of the first games?

— We were at the final of the Ukrainian Cup between MSK "Dnipro" and "Energiya-DYSS Bagira." We watched this game live and invited several players into the team. Going forward, my plan is to attend as many league matches as possible because we want to attract more young girls who are currently playing in Ukraine. By the way, over 40 teams have registered for women's competitions, so we definitely have people to work with. We will try to develop youth.

— The Ukrainian women's team participated in the World Championship among schoolchildren in Brazil. Are there any potential candidates from young players?

— Yes, for example, Oxana Shevchuk — after Brazil, she will come straight to the training camp in Uzhhorod. We watch matches, analyze them and keep our finger on the pulse.