The event brought together around 50 athletes of different ages, representing several communities, as well as university students, graduates, and faculty members.

Athletes from the Khorol and Pyriatyn communities, representatives of Luhansk Region, and athletes from Lubny took part in the competition. The same platform brought together the youngest participants and more experienced athletes — people with different backgrounds who shared a love of sport, a willingness to test their strength, and respect for those in whose memory the championship was held.

The participants were welcomed by Volodymyr Petrovych Moroz, head of the Trade Union, and Maksym Oleksandrovych Andreiev. Their addresses formed part of the opening ceremony, which combined sporting competition with a tribute to the memory of Ukraine’s fallen defenders.

The championship programme included classic and high-repetition bench pressing. In classic bench pressing, strength, technical precision, and concentration during the decisive attempt are crucial. High-repetition bench pressing requires endurance, movement control, and the ability to continue working under load. Each discipline presents its own challenges, while every result reflects training, discipline, and perseverance.

The judging panel included representatives of the Department of Olympic and Professional Sports and the wider sporting community: Mykola Viktorovych Baranik, Honoured Master of Sport of Ukraine and a lecturer at the department; Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Dubovoi, Master of Sport of Ukraine, PhD, and senior lecturer at the department; and Serhii Kolesnyk.

The competition secretary was Dariia Oleksandrivna Sipakova, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Care and Sport for Social and Humanitarian Affairs and a lecturer at the Department of Olympic and Professional Sports.

Teachers also came to support the participants, including Marharyta Viktorivna Shaforost, Nataliia Oleksiivna Bykodorova, and Iryna Kovalenko. The involvement of colleagues demonstrated the unity of the faculty community, for whom sporting events are an important part of university life.

Among the championship participants were students of the Faculty of Health Care and Sport as well as one of its graduates. Such meetings on the competition platform help maintain connections between generations of the university community and continue the faculty’s sporting traditions.

Students of the college also took part in the championship both as competitors and as platform assistants. This is responsible work that requires attentiveness, coordination, and an understanding of how the competition is conducted. For the young participants, it provided practical experience in organising a sporting event and an opportunity to observe the work of the competition platform from different perspectives.

The championship was organised and conducted by the Department of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports of the Luhansk Regional State Administration; Spartak Physical Culture and Sports Society of Luhansk Region; the Luhansk Regional Branch of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine; and the Kyiv Regional NGO “Federation of the Strongest Athletes of Ukraine and Tug of War.”

The championship in Lubny demonstrated how sport can unite communities and generations. Luhansk Region continues its sporting traditions, the university creates a space for meeting and cooperation, and young people contribute to a shared cause through their participation and assistance in organising competitions.

The event had a special meaning as an expression of gratitude to Ukraine’s fallen defenders. Thanks to their courage, we have the opportunity to study, train, meet on the sporting platform, and educate future generations.

We thank all the athletes, judges, coaches, assistants, teachers, and partners for their contribution to the championship.

We compete with gratitude. We unite for the sake of the future. We remember those who gave their lives for Ukraine.

Photos from the event are available via the university’s photo archive.

Faculty of Health Care and Sports