USUST Athletes – Champions of Ukraine in Hand-to-hand Combat
USUST Athletes – Champions of Ukraine in Hand-to-hand Combat
From 14 to 17 March 2025, in the city of Bucha, Kyiv Region, the 25th Ukrainian Hand-to-hand Combat Championship for Adults was held at the Sports Complex “Academy of Sport.” The championship was dedicated to the memory of the Hero of Ukraine, Major General Maksym Shapoval.
This year, 250 athletes from 15 regions of Ukraine took part in the competition, and the event also served as the qualifying stage for the 2025 World Championship. The prestige of the competition was highlighted by the participation of distinguished guests, including General Lieutenant Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as well as representatives from the Hand-to-hand Combat Federation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and local authorities.
The team from the Dnipropetrovsk region demonstrated a high level of preparation by winning first place in the team standings in the “light contact” category, with some of the top performers coming from our university!
In the individual competition, athletes from the “Prydniprovska State Academy of Physical Culture and Sport” of USUST secured three gold medals:
- In the “light contact” category:
- Makаr Sokur, a third-year student from group FV/017-22-3B, in the weight category up to 75 kg;
- Dmytro Skydan, a student from group FV/014-23-1Bz of the 2nd-year extramural program.
- In the “self-defense” category:
- Murad Huseinov, a graduate of the academy (class of 2024).
These victories are the result of the athletes’ hard work and the professional training provided by experienced mentors—our university’s alumni Nadiia Sotnykova and Valentyn Ivashchenko.
We sincerely congratulate our champions and extend our thanks to the coaches for their tireless work! We wish them continued success and brilliant performances on the international stage.
