The Ukrainian national veterans' team will participate in annual sports competitions for injured servicemen held in the United States.
The events will take place from February 20 to March 3 and are part of the selection process for the Air Force and Marine Corps.
The Air Force and Marine Corps Trials serve to form teams that will later compete in the Warrior Games — a multiservice competition on an international level.
Although Ukrainian athletes are not competing for a spot in the Warrior Games, they are invited as an international team to expand the competition format. This also allows for experience exchange among countries such as Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The Ukrainian team consists of 15 participants competing in 11 sports disciplines.
Among the participants is a veteran from Odesa - Valeriy Stalnichenko. He will compete in basketball, rugby, volleyball, and archery.
The format of the competitions is based on adaptive sports principles, allowing all participants to compete in fair and safe conditions.
Each year, the events take place at different military bases in the USA, depending on which branch of the military is hosting. In 2024, the Ukrainian team already participated in the trials in Las Vegas, marking an important milestone for the development of our team.
Athletes compete in various disciplines, including:
- wheelchair basketball,
- wheelchair rugby,
- sitting volleyball,
- archery,
- rowing on a machine,
- athletics,
- powerlifting,
- cycling,
- swimming,
- shooting — a new and particularly interesting discipline for our team.
Such formats make veteran sports a sustainable support system, respecting the experience and strength of those who defended Ukraine.
The formation and participation of the Ukrainian team are organized by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in collaboration with the initiative center "Come Back Alive" as part of the implementation of the National Strategy for creating an accessible environment.
