Ukraine slates Summer Sports Games (01/17/99)

Ukraine slates Summer Sports Games

by Laryssa Barabash Temple
Ukrainian World Congress

ATLANTA - According to a decree of the president of Ukraine dated July 31, 1998 - No. 835 titled "The 1999 All-Ukrainian Summer Sports Games" - the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has delegated the organization of the games to the State Committee for Sports and Physical Culture.

The games' opening ceremonies on June 27 and the closing ceremonies on September 1 will be held in Kyiv at the stadium of the Olympic National Sports Complex.

The games will be a comprehensive national event directed at popularizing physical well-being and sports, promoting a healthy lifestyle among all socio-economic groups in Ukraine, and improving the preparation of Ukraine's athletes for European Championships, World Championships and the XXVII Olympic Games in the year 2000.

During the games, an Olympic Week will feature mass sports competitions in all regions, competitions for prizes provided by Olympic champions, meetings with prominent figures in the realms of sports, culture and education, contests and exhibits with sports themes, academic conferences and other events.

An invitation to participate in the games is extended to representatives of Ukrainian communities in the diaspora. In his letter to the Sports Commission of the Ukrainian World Congress, the chairman of the State Sports Committee, Ivan Fedorenko, noted that athletes will bear the cost of transportation to the games; all other costs will be the responsibility of the State Sports Committee.

The board of directors for the games will comprise the organizational committee that is responsible for the participation and preparation of Ukraine's athletes for the XVIII Winter and XXVII Summer Olympic Games and the XI Paralympic Games, along with the State Sports Committee.

The organization of final competitions will be the discretion of the official judges for the games and judges' panels for the participating sports which will have been formed by the governing bodies of sports organizations responsible for various aspects of the games and sports authorities in Ukraine's oblast and city administrations.

The games are gaining support from the sports elite in Ukraine. Myroslav Hertsyk, rector of the Lviv State Institute for Sports and Physical Culture, stated that he encourages widespread participation in games as this has a positive impact, not only on sports, but on mainstream society in Ukraine.

Detailed official information on the 1999 All-Ukrainian Summer Sports Games may be obtained from the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK) and community sports clubs and organizations. The State Sports Committee of Ukraine has requested that a preliminary count of participants categorized by events be submitted by March 1, 1999.

| Home Page |